We All Will Be Together
by MackenzieW
Summary: Set in my "The Christmas Wish" verse. Santa has granted Henry and Roland's wish by making them brothers. Robin and Regina have decided to stay married. Follow them as they spend their first year as a family by seeing how they celebrate the special occasions throughout the year.
1. New Year, New Life

**We All Will Be Together**

 **A/N:** Hey, everyone! So, my plan was to do this last year but then Old Blue (my laptop) died and I lost it all. I've spent 2018 trying to build it up again (though I'm still not as far along as I hoped) so I could spend 2019 giving you a peek into the lives of the Mills-Locksley family from my story _The Christmas Wish_. If you haven't read that first, you might want to read it—but you'll probably figure it out without reading it.

I'm reusing _The Christmas Wish_ cover, which was made by glindalovesshoes. Thanks again, Eva!

Happy New Year!

* * *

 **New Year, New Life**

Regina was getting used to waking up to a pair of strong arms around her and a warm body pressed against her back. She sighed as consciousness slowly crept upon her and snuggled deeper into Robin's embrace. He pressed a sleepy kiss to her shoulder and then the side of her head. "Happy New Year, Mrs. Locksley."

"Happy New Year, Mr. Mills-Locksley," she shot back, smiling.

He hummed. "If you want to hyphenate, I'm fine with that. Do you want to change the boys' names as well?"

She crinkled her nose, feeling like her brain had short-circuited. "Ugh. I think that's a question to be decided when I'm more awake and not hungover."

"Of course." He kissed her shoulder again before pulling away from her.

She shivered at the loss of his body warmth and rolled over to ask him where he was going. However, her stomach turned over and she clutched it with a groan. "Oh god…I think I'm going to be sick."

"Maybe we shouldn't have had that last round of champagne," he said, his voice sounding scratchy. He then groaned as well. "Or the shots."

"Are you going to lecture me about our drinking choices last night or are you going to help me before I'm sick all over the bed?" She held out her arm blindly, trying to reach out for her husband.

A warm and strong hand closed around hers and helped her helped her out of bed. He then wrapped an arm around her and walked with her toward their bathroom. She knelt and was sick into the toilet as Robin held her hair back.

She moaned as she sat back against him, hearing him flush the toilet for her. He leaned her against the bathtub. "I'm going to get a facecloth, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

"Okay, maybe you had a point about the champagne and the shots," she moaned, pressing her hand to her eyes to block out the little light that was trying to get past her eyelids.

Robin gently wiped her mouth before sitting down next to her. She fell over, resting her head on his shoulder. "This probably wasn't the picture you had in mind when you agreed to stay married to me," she said

He chuckled. "Believe it or not, this is exactly what I had in mind when I agreed to stay married to you."

"Really?" She would've opened her eyes and glared at him but she worried that would've triggered the headache she felt lurking behind her eyes.

"Well, I would've thought you'd have the flu and not be hungover, but I knew that this agreement would mean holding back your hair at some point," he told her.

She let out a wry laugh at his statement, acknowledging that truth of it. "Thanks. I'd do the same for you but I doubt your hair gets in your way."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm sure you'll take good care of me when I get sick."

They sat on the floor for a bit longer and Regina started to drift off again. She felt Robin lift her into his arms and carry her into their bedroom, lying her on the bed. He kissed her forehead as he covered her with the still warm blanket. "Get some more rest. I'll deal with the boys."

"Thank you," she murmured, rolling over and letting sleep claim her yet again.

* * *

Robin was also feeling the aftereffects of too much champagne but he was clearly in better shape than his wife. After shrugging on pajama pants and a shirt as well as his bathrobe, he stumbled downstairs and started up the Keurig. He hoped one very strong cup of coffee would help him feel more human before the boys woke up and needed breakfast.

As his coffee brewed, he leaned against the counter and hung his head. The last bottle of champagne had been too much, he decided. Celebrating their marriage did not need that much alcohol. They could've toasted their new life together with water.

Or at least drank a gallon each before going to bed rather than making love well into the wee hours of the morning.

The Keurig finished and he grabbed his mug, sipping the hot black liquid without adding any creamer or sugar like usual. He needed his coffee extra strong at the moment. And maybe some Advil, once he could shuffle to the medicine cabinet in the downstairs bathroom.

He leaned against the counter as the reality of his new life hit him. He and Regina had made vows to each other and pledged to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife. Now that the holidays were over, they were going to have to really start blending their lives together and coming up with new routines. Robin easily adapted but he knew that Regina liked her schedules, something he figured came from living with her mother. Cora Mills-Blanchard demanded pretty much perfection from her daughter, so if Regina could remain a few steps ahead of her, the easier her life would be.

Robin wanted this transition to be as smooth and easy as they possibly could make it. If it meant getting onto one of Regina's schedules, then so be it. Hopefully he would then show her that it was okay to shake things up sometimes and be spontaneous, but it would have to be in baby steps.

"Good morning, Papa," Roland said, shuffling into the kitchen. He hugged Robin. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, my boy," he replied, holding his son close. "Did you sleep well?"

Roland nodded. "Especially once you and Mom told us you were staying together. I like having a mom again and having a brother."

"And you're okay with living here instead of our cottage?" Robin asked.

"Yeah. Santa moved all my stuff and there's more room here," his son replied. "Do you like it here?"

Smiling, Robin nodded. "I like it here very much. But as long as I have you, Henry and Mum, I would be happy living anywhere."

"That's really sappy," Roland said, scrunching up his nose.

Robin chuckled. "I guess so, but it's the truth. You three are all I need to be happy."

"Well, I guess I just need you, Mom and Henry too," his son replied before smiling widely. "And French toast."

"Okay, okay. Why don't you go have a seat and I'll get the French toast started for breakfast?" He gave Roland a gentle push toward the table before turning to gather the ingredients needed for the request.

As he fried up some French toast for his son, he heard the padding of little feet and knew who had just joined them. Without looking, Robin said: "Good morning, Henry. Are you hungry?"

"Yes. Is that French toast?" Henry asked, coming to stand next to him at the stove.

Robin glanced down, seeing only the boy's sleep-tousled brown hair. He smoothed it down, causing Henry to look up. Smiling, Robin motioned to the table. "Why don't you join your brother? Breakfast is almost ready."

"Thanks, Dad." Henry didn't move right away. Instead, he hugged Robin. "I'm glad you decided to stay my dad."

"Me too," Robin said, kissing the top of his head. He then pushed Henry toward the table to join Roland before plating the French toast slices for his sons.

Once the boys had their breakfasts—complete with glasses of orange juice—Robin sat down with his own slice of French toast. Henry looked around, frowning. "Where's Mom?"

"She's still sleeping," Robin replied, sipping his second cup of coffee.

Henry's mouth fell open. "We're up before her? Is she sick?"

"Uh…" Robin paused, trying to figure out the best way to answer that. He doubted Regina wanted their children to know that she was hungover but he didn't want the boys to worry too much.

Clearing his throat, he decided on his response. "We were out really late and I kept your mother dancing most of the night. I think I really wore her out."

"Oooh," both boys said, satisfied with his answer. They turned back to their breakfast and Robin let out a sigh of relief.

Crisis averted.

* * *

Regina woke up again and was relieved when her stomach remained calm. While her mouth felt dry and full of cotton, her head was no longer fuzzy and the world remained still. She sat up and spotted a glass of water next to her bed, knowing Robin had left it for her. Touched, she took a tentative sip and then another. Her stomach did not react and she figured she could attempt to get out of bed.

She pushed the blankets back and placed her feet on the floor. After taking a few breaths and realizing all was still well, she pushed herself up until she was standing. She held out her arms but she still remained upright.

Good.

Regina picked up her cotton bathrobe and wrapped it around her, tying the belt with a loose knot. She slid her feet into her slippers and headed downstairs, deciding to attempt a light breakfast now that her stomach wasn't planning a revolt any time soon.

She made it downstairs and heard the TV playing in the living room, meaning the children were up. There was a lingering aroma of coffee in the air and she hoped it would help her feel a little bit more human as she headed to the kitchen.

"Good afternoon," Robin greeted as he wiped down the counters. "Can I get you anything?"

"Is it really afternoon?" she asked, squinting as she tried to make out the numbers on the microwave clock. They didn't get any clearer and she wasn't sure if it was her hangover or if she finally needed glasses.

He nodded, guiding her toward the table. "You must be starving. How is your stomach? What do you think you can handle?"

She swallowed, rubbing her stomach. "Toast and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Just stick it right into my vein."

Robin laughed as she stuck out her arm, indicating where she wanted the IV to go. He raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss there. "I'll get you some coffee but I think water might be better."

"Can we compromise and I'll drink both?" she asked.

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "That sounds like a good compromise. Now, you relax and I'll get you your toast."

"Mom?" Henry's voice made her turn around, where she found both her sons standing at the entrance to the kitchen. They both looked apprehensive, as if they weren't allowed into the room.

She smiled and motioned for them to come to her. When they got close enough, she pulled them into a hug. "Happy New Year, my dears."

"Happy New Year, Mom," Henry said, hugging her. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, Papa said he kept you up late and so you were very tired," Roland added, leaning against her.

She raised her eyebrow as she looked over their heads at Robin, who was placing her toast on a plate. He shrugged and she knew that he probably had to tell them something when she didn't come down for breakfast. It seemed better than him explaining what a hangover was, so she let it pass and decided to play along.

"Yes, he did," she replied, "but we were celebrating our decision to stay married, so I think we can forgive him this once, don't you?"

The boys nodded as Robin set her plate down in front of her as well as her favorite mug filled with coffee. He rubbed the boys' heads as he smiled down at her. "Do you want jelly with that?"

"Mom doesn't eat her toast with jelly," Henry said, pulling away from her. He hurried over to the refrigerator, opening it and pulling out a jar before proudly carrying it back to the table.

When he set it down, Roland gave it a suspicious look. "You put apple sauce on your toast, Mom?"

She chuckled. "It's not apple sauce but apple butter. And it's really good. Do you want to try some?"

"Okay," Roland said, looking apprehensive.

She cut off a small piece of her toast and placed some apple butter on it, holding it out to him. "Go ahead, sweetheart."

He took it and popped it into his mouth. Regina watched as he chewed and once he swallowed, he smiled. "I like it. Much sweeter than butter."

"Yes, it is," she said. "And you know how much I love anything with apples."

"Alright, you two, why don't you let Mum eat in peace and we'll join you in the living room shortly?" Robin suggested.

The boys nodded, leaving the room as Robin took a seat next to her. He smiled. "Do you want anything else or is that enough?"

She shook her head as she sipped at her coffee, relishing the delicious caffeine as it slid down her throat. "This is perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Maybe once we get you past the worst of the hangover, we can get something a bit more substantial in you," he said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"I honestly think I'm past the worst of it," she told him. "I just didn't want to take any chances. So if this stays down, we can have a nice big dinner."

He nodded, grinning. "That sounds great. What do you want to do between now and then?"

She shrugged. "I guess just crash on the couch with our boys and watch the last of the Christmas movies."

"Sounds like a plan to me," he replied, kissing her forehead. "None of us even have to change. It'll be a nice break before our hectic lives start again."

Regina swallowed another sip of coffee before frowning at him. "We are going to figure out how to mesh our hectic lives now that we're married. This has been like a honeymoon and now it's back to the real world."

"I know," he said softly. Then he smiled. "But before we get into all of that, I do intend on taking you on a proper honeymoon. Maybe after our ceremony in the summer?"

She smiled in return, covering their clasped hands with her free one. "That sounds wonderful. Would we take the kids?"

He shook his head. "I want to take you on a proper honeymoon where we do things we definitely don't want the children around for."

Regina chuckled, remembering how they spent their night, and nodded. "I'm sure Tink or Mary Margaret would be happy to take care of the boys for us."

"Me too," he said, rubbing his thumb over her hand. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know. I've never thought about where I would want to go on a honeymoon," she admitted with a laugh. Even when she was engaged to Daniel, they never planned their honeymoon and then she figured she would never go on one. It gave her a lot to think about.

He gathered up her dirty plate and silverware. "Well, you have time to think about it. Now, why don't you take that coffee into the living room and I'll join you three in a bit?"

"Sounds good." She kissed him and picked up her coffee mug, standing from her chair. Regina headed over into the living room, sitting down on the couch. Henry and Roland moved from where they were lying on the floor, each cuddling next to her. She wrapped her arms around them, holding them close as Robin joined them. He set down a glass of water next to her coffee mug, a silent reminder of their agreement, before sitting next to Roland.

They sat together as a family, watching movies as the daylight began to fade into night.

* * *

"Can we play a board game?" Roland asked, rubbing his eyes. "I'm getting tired of all these movies."

Robin chuckled, rubbing his son's arms. "Okay. I guess we do need to get up and move as well. So what game do you want to play?"

"Can we play Clue?" he asked. "There's enough of us to play it now."

"I've never played Clue," Henry said, grinning. "That sounds like it would be fun."

Regina frowned. "I don't think we have Clue, though."

"I do! And Santa brought it over when he moved my bedroom. I can go get it," Roland said, jumping up from the couch. He left the room before anyone could stop him.

Robin stood as well, rubbing his legs. "Anyone want a snack to enjoy while we play the game?"

"Popcorn?" Henry suggested, looking hopeful.

Glancing at Regina, Robin waited for her nod of approval. She gave it and he smiled. "Okay. Popcorn it is."

He crossed over to the kitchen as Roland raced down the stairs. Robin held out his hand, halting his son's progress. "Walk, Roland. There's no need to run," he told him.

"Sorry, Papa," Roland said, clutching the board game closer to him. "I guess I'm just really excited. Where are you going?"

"To make popcorn for us to snack on while we play the game," he told him, ruffling his son's curls.

Roland's smile grew wider. "That sounds delicious!"

"I know. So why don't you wait in the living room with your mother and your brother while I go pop that corn?"

His son giggled before growing thoughtful. "I like the sound of that."

"Popping corn?" Robin asked, confused by his son's words.

Roland shook his head. "No. My mother and brother. That sounds nice."

"Yeah," Robin said, smiling softly. "It does sound nice, doesn't it? Now, go on. I'll be there shortly."

"Okay, Papa." Roland skipped toward the living room and Robin could hear Regina greet him warmly. He smiled, heading toward the kitchen to finally get the popcorn he had promised his family.

He walked back into the living room with a big bowl of fluffy popcorn as well as several bottles of water. Robin set them down on the coffee table, which was pushed toward the TV so they could have space on the floor to play the game. The board was set up on the carpet and Robin saw that four pieces were set up already—red, purple, yellow and green. He sank to his knees beside Regina, raising his eyebrow. "I trust I'm Mr. Green?"

"Of course, Papa," Roland said, grinning at him. "It's your favorite color. I'm Professor Plum, Henry's Colonel Mustard and Mom's Miss Scarlet."

"How appropriate," he said, winking at his wife. He watched as she shuffled the cards. "So you're doling?"

She nodded. "The boys agreed it would be best if I do it."

"Mom won't cheat," Roland said, giving his father a pointed look.

Robin feigned indignation. "Are you saying I would? That you don't trust your own father?"

"I trust you, Dad," Henry said, grinning at him.

"Thank you," Robin replied. "I'm glad one of my sons does."

Regina separated the cards into the three respective piles—weapons, places and people. She picked a card from each and slid them into the little envelope marked "solution." Once that was done, she began doling out the cards to them. "So, Roland, Henry's never played Clue before. Care to explain it to him?"

"Uh…" Roland scrunched up his nose before turning to Robin. "Papa? Can you explain it to him?"

Chuckling, Robin nodded. "Gladly. I'll go slowly because it can be complicated. Don't be scared to ask me to repeat anything, Henry."

He patiently explained how they would all get cards and would mark those down on the sheets Regina passed out. "You know anything marked off on your paper is not in the envelope. The goal is to narrow it down to figure out which cards are in the envelope," he said.

"How?" Henry asked, frowning.

"You roll the dice and move that many spaces," Roland said, jumping in. "You want to head to a room and when you get inside, you can make a guess as to who did it and with what weapon in that room."

Robin nodded. "We then all check our cards and if one of us have a card that disproves your suggestion, we'll show it to you. You then check it off on your sheet to help you narrow down what the solution is."

"And if I have it?" Henry then asked.

"Well, you make the accusation and you check the envelope. If you're right, you win. If you're wrong, you are out of the game and we can see your cards," Robin replied. "So definitely doublecheck to make sure you don't have any of the cards before you make an accusation."

Henry nodded solemnly as he studied his sheet. "Okay, I think I've got it. Who goes first?"

"Miss Scarlet," Robin said, handing the die to Regina. "Have at it."

She shook the die before rolling it, scrunching her nose at the outcome. "One. I'm moving at the speed of light, aren't I?"

"Don't worry, Mom. No one goes far on their first turn," Roland said, tapping Henry's arm. "Your turn."

As Henry rolled the die, Robin leaned back to study the scene before him. His family playing a game together in their pajamas as the Christmas tree sparkled behind them. It was everything he didn't know he wanted and everything he couldn't imagine living without now.

It was perfect.

* * *

Henry ended up winning the game by accusing Miss Scarlet of killing Mr. Body in the Conservatory with the knife.

"I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you pesky kids," Regina joked before kissing Henry's cheek. "Good job, sweetheart."

He beamed. "Thanks, Mom."

Robin clapped his hands together and he shared a knowing look with Regina. "Okay, let's get this game all cleaned up while Mom starts dinner."

"Anyone have any requests?" Regina asked, wincing as she stood up. Her knees were not pleased with how long she had been sitting on the floor playing the game. She rubbed them as she looked at each member of her family.

Henry grinned. "Can we have some lasagna, Mom?"

"We always have lasagna," she replied. "Why don't we try something else?"

"Like stir fry? Roland suggested hopefully.

She grinned. "Stir fry sounds perfect. I'll go get it started while you all clean up. Then maybe you can also set the table for me?"

The boys groaned but Robin shot a look at them. "Mom's going to make us dinner. The least we can do is set up for her. Right?"

"I guess so," Henry sighed as Roland nodded.

Regina straightened up, kissing Robin's cheek. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

She headed into the kitchen, stopping at the sink to wash her hands. After raiding her refrigerator for the ingredients needed for a stir fry, she rolled up her sleeves and quickly got to work. It would be an easy dinner to make, which promised even more family time before they had to get ready to return to their normal routines the next day.

Of course, they didn't have a normal routine. Everything was going to be different now that Robin and Roland were living with them. She knew he wanted to spend one last lazy day together but she knew they were going to have to talk about routines and schedules if they wanted the household to run smoothly.

She wouldn't— _couldn't_ —have chaos in her life.

Two arms wrapped around her waist and Robin kissed her shoulder. "Either the stir fry did something to offend you or you are deep in thought."

She sighed. "We really need to talk about meshing our lives together or tomorrow is going to be ugly."

"It'll be fine," he insisted. "Is it going to be perfect? Probably not. But it's nothing we can't handle."

"I won't be able to handle it," she admitted it softly. "I like my schedules and making sure everything is running smoothly."

He pressed another kiss to her shoulder and she held her breath, waiting for his answer. Would he mock her? Tell her that she didn't need a schedule to function? That it was probably leftover anxiety from growing up with her demanding mother and she was free from it now?

"Okay," he finally said. "After dinner, we'll put on a movie to distract the boys and we'll come up with a tentative schedule. We'll have to fine tune it through experience but it will be a start."

She closed her eyes, gratitude filling her. Why had she resisted falling in love with him for so long? Perhaps she would've freed herself from Mother earlier and could've worked on fixing herself sooner.

"You're thinking too hard," he whispered, "and I have a feeling you're putting yourself down. Don't. You're amazing."

"I was just wishing I let myself love you earlier," she replied, also in a whisper. "Maybe I wouldn't be so messed up."

He kissed her head. "Don't think like that. Only happy thoughts today. It's our honeymoon."

She chuckled before glancing at him. "Is everything set up? This stir fry is almost done."

"Yes," he assured her. "The boys and I have the table all set and they are sitting there, waiting for us to serve them."

Regina placed the stir fry into a serving dish with a smile. "They're being really patient. I'm impressed."

"I may have bribed them," Robin admitted.

"Oh?" she asked, picking up the dish. "With what, dare I ask?"

He grew more sheepish. "Extra helpings of dessert."

She sighed. "Well, I guess there are worse things to have bribed them with. I don't believe in using money for rewards. Henry earns his allowance by doing chores."

"It's the same for Roland," Robin told her. "If he gets good grades on his report card, I take him to the rec center to practice archery and he gets ice cream afterwards."

"I make Henry a special dinner when he gets good grades," she said, "and I take him out for ice cream too."

"Great minds think alike," he replied, following her as she entered the dining room.

Henry and Roland looked up from their places, their hands clasped right by their plates. They looked longingly at the dish in her hands and she smiled. "Are you two hungry?"

"Yes!" Henry said as Roland nodded eagerly. "We've been waiting very patiently, just like Dad said."

She chuckled as she placed the dish on the potholder. "I'm sure the promise of double dessert did the trick."

"Did we earn it?" Roland asked, looking up at his father with pleading eyes.

Robin glanced over at Regina, who gave him a slight nod. He then looked back at his son with a smile. "Yes, Roland, you and Henry have earned that extra dessert."

They cheered as he and Regina took their seats. She spooned out some of the food onto their plates. "Before you can have that dessert, though, you need to eat your dinner."

"Yes, Mom," they chorused before digging into their meals.

"Slowly," Robin told them, eyeing them warily. "We don't want you to choke. Right, Regina?"

She nodded, swallowing her own bite. "Absolutely. Besides, you're probably not even tasting it eating it that way."

Both boys did as she said, taking smaller bites and not eating so fast. Relieved that no one would choke, Regina and Robin continued to eat their dinner as well.

"So," Robin said, breaking the silence that had fallen as they had eaten, "are you two ready to go back to school tomorrow?"

The boys groaned and Roland scowled at his food. "I've enjoyed spending time with you and Mom. School just ruins that."

"Yeah," Henry echoed. "I can't wait for summer so we have weeks where we can just play."

Regina chuckled. "School is important. You both know that, right?"

They both nodded before staring at their plates. Roland muttered: "Doesn't mean it's fun, though."

"Ms. French tries," Henry offered.

Roland nodded. "She does. But it can still be boring. Especially history."

"Math is boring to me," Henry replied, scrunching his nose.

"So you agree on English and science?" Robin asked, clearly amused by the conversation.

They exchanged looks before shrugging. "I guess," Henry answered.

"They can be fun. Especially when we study something cool in science, like bugs. Right, Henry?" Roland asked.

Regina watched as her son shuddered and she understood how he felt perfectly. He then shook his head. "Bugs aren't cool. They're creepy. I like when we study the planets though. Those are cool."

"Yeah," Roland echoed, now really excited as he bounced in his seat. "I love when we study the planets too. And asteroids and comets and stars. The whole universe is amazing!"

Robin chuckled, meeting her eyes. "I think we should plan a trip to the planetarium soon for our little space explorers."

Both boys gasped and their heads turned so fast, she was worried they would get whiplash. Two sets of wide, pleading eyes looked at her and she chuckled as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I think the planetarium is an excellent idea."

They cheered and Roland gave her a cheeky grin. "Maybe we should go to the planetarium tomorrow rather than school."

She leaned closer, smiling just as cheekily. "Nice try, mister. You and your brother are going to school tomorrow."

Roland groaned but still kept smiling as he shrugged. "Well, I tried."

"Finish your dinner," Robin told him, "unless you don't want that double dessert after all."

Both boys gasped and turned back to their meals, working to clean their plates. Robin caught Regina's eye, winking at her as he sipped at his water. She smiled at him, also taking the last few bites of her meal as a comfortable silence descended on the dining room.

* * *

"What about dessert?" Roland asked as he handed his dirty plate to Robin so he could load it into the dishwasher.

Regina looked up from where she was washing the pan she had used to make dinner. "I think you and Henry should let your dinner digest for a bit. You want to have room for the double helpings, right?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Then you can wait a bit longer for it," she reasoned. "Why don't you two go watch some TV while your father and I finish up in here?"

Roland grabbed Henry's hand. "Come on! I know the perfect thing to watch!"

They raced off to the living room, even as Regina called out for them to walk. She shook her head as she rinsed off the pan. "I wish I had half their energy sometimes."

"I know, right?" Robin chuckled as he started the dishwasher. "I could get so much more done."

She set the pan to dry before turning to her husband, wrapping her arms around her. "Can we make a schedule for at least the rest of this week?"

"Of course," he said, motioning to the kitchen table. "You want to do it here or someplace else?"

"Kitchen is fine," she replied, grabbing something off her refrigerator.

They sat down and Robin realized that what she had grabbed was her dry erase weekly calendar. She laid it between them and spread out the different colored markers she owned. "I'm red, Henry's blue. Pick a color for Roland and you'll be the last one."

"He can be green," Robin decided, "and I can take black. How does that sound?"

She nodded. "That's good. Now, we'll go through day by day and figure out everyone's schedule, okay?"

"Okay," he replied. "So we'll start with tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." Regina pulled out the school calendar. "Okay, Monday, January second…New Year's Day observed. School closed."

It took a few seconds to sink in before Robin laughed. "Right. Today is Sunday. I totally forgot."

"Everything has just blended together. Time has seemed to stop since Christmas," she replied, sounding surprised. She then cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. "I still want to plan the week, though."

He nodded. "Of course. Why don't we then go straight to Tuesday and we'll work on tomorrow last?"

"I can do that," she said, moving to the slot marked Tuesday on the board. "I usually have to be in the office by eight-thirty. When do you need to be at the store?"

"Eight," he replied. "I need to do inventory and open since John will be working all day tomorrow."

She nodded, writing that down. "Henry usually takes the bus. Is Roland signed up for the bus?"

He shook his head. "No. We lived too close to the school to be considered for bus service so I usually drove him myself. If I had to be at the store early, Tink usually would come take him for me."

"Well, you should probably change his address with the school and apply for bus service," she said and he could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. "You're already an emergency contact for Henry, though I should make sure that you're his primary, but do I need to add that you're his parent?"

Robin took her hand. "It's up to you. But I plan on putting you down as Roland's even if there's no paperwork that says so, just a certificate that says we're married."

She smiled, lacing their fingers together. "Then I'll add you as Henry's parent as well. He already sees you as his father."

"And I see him as my son," Robin confirmed, though deep down he knew she believed that. "Just as you already see Roland as yours."

"I do," she said, her voice distant. She stared past him, as if she could see their boys watching TV in the living room. It made him love her even more.

She shook her head and turned back to their schedule. "I guess I can drive the boys to school on my way to the office."

"Thank you," he said. "Wednesday, I'll do it and I'll get Roland signed up for the bus."

"You're jumping ahead. Let's focus on one day at a time," she told him. "I'm usually done by four-thirty so I can also pick up the boys."

He nodded. "I'll probably be late that day as I work on all the holiday aftermath."

"So I guess I'm handling dinner," she said, tapping her marker against the table as she continued to think everything out.

"If you wouldn't mind," he replied. "It'll be better than the fast food Roland and I usually live on after Christmas."

She gave him a look that made him feel like he had done something wrong and he shrank back at bit. "I admit it wasn't the best move but I couldn't also cook something nutritious after working all day in the shop. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open."

"I've been there," she admitted, her shoulders sagging. "If you ever need, there's a pizza menu on top of the refrigerator along with a Chinese takeout menu."

He glanced toward the appliance and nodded. "Good to know."

"So there's no extracurriculars Roland may have on Tuesday?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied. "Henry?"

She shook her head. "Looks like Tuesday will be mostly quiet, just busy for you."

"Yep," he said. "I apologize now if I'm cranky."

"I'll just make you sleep on the couch." She looked up, smirking at him. "And since Santa's magic is no longer in effect, I know you'll stay there."

He tried not to grin as he said: "Unless I sneak into bed."

"I'll just lock the door," she replied.

Robin leaned back in his chair, studying her. He was confident as he said: "No, you won't because you'll be too afraid that the boys might need you."

She paused and then scowled. "You have this uncanny ability to read me."

"I like to think I understand you," he said. "That we're not so different, which is why we've ended up working together."

"I like that," she replied softly.

He grinned at her before motioning to the calendar. "Shall we finish this so we can plan what we're going to do tomorrow?"

"Gladly," she said, moving to the next slot on her calendar. "Okay, what does Wednesday look like?"

* * *

Once their weekly schedule was made, Regina hung it back up on the fridge. She stared at it, impressed that they were able to organize and combine their lives so far. Thursdays looked bad as Henry and Roland both had scouts at night, so it looked like it would continue to be a night of quick meals. Robin, though, offered to take both boys and let her relax at home. She had been hesitant to give up taking Henry but she realized he would probably have more fun going with his father rather than his mother.

His father.

That still sounded so strange yet felt so right at the same time.

"The boys are sound asleep on the living room floor," Robin said, returning to the kitchen after checking on them. "I'll carry them up to bed in a few minutes. So, are we agreed for tomorrow?"

"Planetarium and then dinner out," she said, nodding. "It sounds like it will be fun and educational."

"Parenting score!" he replied, pumping his fist into the air. When she laughed, he pulled her in for a hug. "Are you feeling better now that we have a plan for the week?"

She nodded, feeling gratitude toward him for working with her without a fight. "Thank you. I know this won't be easy, but we're taking the right steps to working together as a family."

He agreed before grinning at her. "However, I am going to teach you how to be more spontaneous."

"Spontaneous?" The word alone gave her heart palpitations. "What do you mean?"

He rubbed her arms. "I mean that I might surprise you for lunch one day. Or take you and the boys out to the movies another. Maybe even whisk you away for a nice weekend together."

She raised her eyebrows. "With maybe a day's notice?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "I will pack for us and then just pick you up to take you out of town."

Regina broke out into a cold sweat as she shook her head. "No, no. You could mess everything up! What if we have prior engagements? Commitments? What about the boys?"

He pulled her close to him, rocking her gently as he ran his hand over her hair. "I may be surprising you, but it'll be something I'll have somewhat planned ahead of time. I will make sure we have nothing we need to do and I will make sure the boys are cared for. You just won't be involved in making the plans."

"I don't like that," she whispered, clutching onto his shirt. "I don't like giving up control."

Robin sighed, guiding her toward the table and easing her down into a chair. He knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his. "Have you had fun this week? I mean, our fight and your mother aside?"

"Yes," she said, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

He nodded. "And how much of this week did we plan?"

"Not much of it," she said, realizing where he was going with this. "We pretty much winged it day by day."

"Was it so bad?"

She gave him a soft smile as she shook her head. "No, it wasn't that bad. It was actually…kinda of nice."

"That's what I want when we're spontaneous," he told her, rubbing her arms. "I want to take you away for a few days where you don't have to think about anything. Where you can just have fun—whether it's just us or we have the boys as well."

Regina leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. "That does sound nice."

"So, will you trust me enough to be spontaneous with me? To let me plan some trips for us that you won't know about?" he asked.

She softened and nodded, kissing his nose. "Yes. Just nothing too crazy, okay? I'm not jumping out of a plane."

He shuddered. "Neither am I. You have nothing to worry about there."

"Mom? Dad?" Henry wandered into the kitchen, frowning when he saw them. "Is something wrong?"

Regina pulled away from Robin as he shook his head, reaching out to the boy. "Everything is fine, Henry. Your mom and I were planning what we're going to do tomorrow."

"Aren't you going to work?" Henry asked, confused. "While we're going to school?"

"Your mother and I forgot that tomorrow is also a holiday. You don't have school," Robin explained.

Roland raced into the kitchen, his eyes wide as he stared at them. "We don't have school tomorrow? Really? Can we go to the planetarium then?"

"We've already made plans to take you two," Regina assured him, smiling at them.

They cheered and Roland threw himself into her arms. She caught him easily, hugging him as she watched Henry hug Robin. Roland snuggled closer to her, whispering: "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she said before pulling back. "Why don't we go inside and watch the rest of the movie with you?"

Robin stood and helped her up as the boys hurried in front of them. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, smiling as she did so. "And I love saying that. I hope it never grows old."

"I doubt it will," he said as they sat down on the couch. The boys climbed onto after them and they all cuddled together as one last Christmas movie played to close out their night together.

* * *

It was evening by the time they got home from the planetarium. Robin parked his truck in the driveway and glanced around at his family. Henry and Roland had keeled over shortly into their drive home and both were sound asleep in the backseat, heads almost touching. In the front seat, Regina's eyes were closed and her breathing even as she rested her head against the window. It was a sweet sight but Robin knew he was going to have to wake them all up.

He reached over and gently shook Regina's shoulder. She jumped and tensed up, as if ready to fight someone off. Her wide brown eyes settled on him and she relaxed, her eyes softening. "Did I doze off?"

"You did," he replied, "but you needed your rest. We're home now so we need to get the boys inside."

She nodded, stretching out as she glanced at the back seat. "I'll take Roland if you take Henry?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said, opening the door and shivering as the cold weather chased away the heat he had had pumping through the truck. Robin quickly stepped out into it and closed his door, opening the back door.

He shook Henry, who groaned and tried to swat his hand away. Robin remained patient as he kept shaking the boy. "Time to wake up, Henry. You just need to be awake long enough to get into the house and ready for bed. Okay?"

"Okay," Henry finally said. He sat up and let Robin unbuckle him as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Robin helped him down from the truck and set him on the ground, holding the boy's hand tightly to keep him upright.

Regina held onto Roland's hand as she closed the door. She headed toward the front door and Robin followed, practically dragging Henry with him. "I'm tired, Dad," the boy groaned.

"I know," Robin replied, "but we're almost inside."

The door swung open and they brought the children inside. Regina crouched down to look both boys in their tired eyes. "Okay, you two, we've had a lot of fun at the planetarium today but now it's time for bed."

"Okay, Mom," Henry said as Roland yawned. "Will you tuck us in?"

She nodded, gently pushing them toward the stairs as she stood. "I'll be up in five minutes. Try not to fall asleep in your clothes."

"Okay," Henry said, starting to climb up the stairs.

Roland followed, yawning before saying: "No promises."

She chuckled before turning to Robin. "You want to come too?"

"Tempting," he said, glancing up the stairs, "but the boys asked for you. I'll just get ready for tomorrow."

"Okay. I'm probably just going to take a shower and relax in bed. Don't take too long," she said, leaning down to kiss him.

He broke the kiss with a soft hum, eyes still closed as he said: "Don't worry. I definitely can't stay away too long."

"Good to hear," she replied, winking as best as she could. "Then I'll see you in a little bit."

Robin watched as she walked back upstairs, noting how she swayed her hips. He swallowed, knowing she was teasing him and trying to distract him. It almost worked but he really had to get ready for the next day. However, he was going to do it as quickly as possible so he could join his beautiful and sexy bride in bed.

After all, they were still on their honeymoon.

* * *

Regina looked up as Robin entered their bedroom, smiling as he closed the door behind him. "Took you long enough," she teased.

"I was as fast as I possibly could be," he said, pulling off the sweater he wore to the planetarium. "The boys sound asleep?"

She nodded, sitting up straighter in bed. "I thought Roland was going to fall asleep while brushing his teeth."

"He's done that before," he said, chuckling at the image of little Roland teetering on his stepstool while Robin kept him from falling over. "It's kinda adorable, once the adrenaline over trying to keep him from getting hurt wears off."

"Yeah. And Henry pretty much fell into bed. It's getting to the point where I'm just going to have to leave him and not move him anymore," she said sadly, realizing her baby boy was getting too heavy for her.

Robin sat down on the edge of the bed in his boxers, squeezing her leg through the sheets. "I know how difficult it is to watch your baby grow up. But it just means a new adventure."

She smiled, reaching out to cup his cheek with her hand. "How are you always so positive?"

"Because I have you," he said, kissing her nose. "And I have Roland and Henry. That alone makes my life so much brighter."

"Sap," she told him again. She pulled him down next to her, curling against him.

He chuckled, holding her close as he buried his nose in her hair. "Guilty as charged. Fair warning, I plan to never change."

"Good," she replied, closing her eyes as she breathed in his familiar pine scent. "I would never want you to stop being such a sap."

Robin kissed her head. "I love you so much."

She hummed in agreement. "I can't believe we wasted so much time fighting with each other when we could've been doing this instead."

"I know," he said, taking her hand in his and playing with her fingers. "But maybe it's all about timing. Maybe we weren't quite yet ready for each other."

"Maybe," she agreed quietly, wrapping her arm around him as she pressed her cheek against his chest.

He rubbed her back. "Let's not dwell on that. We're together now and I'm determined to make every moment count."

Regina sighed happily. "I like the sound of that."

"Good." His hand slipped under her shirt. "So, are you too tired to fool around a bit or…?"

She lifted her head, smirking at him. "You have a one-track mind, don't you, Robin Locksley?"

"Only since I've married you," he replied, chuckling.

"Well, I guess that's only fair," she said with a sigh. "I'm afraid I've only had a one-tracked mind since marrying you."

His smile turned into a smirk of his own as his hand cupped her breast, its warmth seeping into her skin as he massaged it. "Is that so?"

She hummed, enjoying the feel of his fingers on her breasts as her hand started to undo the ties of his pajama pants. "You're irresistible, Robin."

"I feel the same about you," he replied, pulling off her shirt and tossing it aside. "Absolutely irresistible."

Regina slid her hand into his pajama pants and began to stroke him through his boxers. She smirked as she felt him harden. "I can tell."

He groaned, his thumbs playing with her nipples. "You don't play fair, milady."

"All's fair in love and war," she replied, giving him a good squeeze and smirking when he groaned. "You should know that by now."

"Well, if that's the case…" He trailed off, his hands moving down her body until he got to her own pajama pants. "I should respond in kind."

They made love as the night continued on. When they finished, they lay together as the clock revealed it to be well after midnight.

"We should go to bed," he whispered, running his fingers along her back. "We both have busy days ahead of us tomorrow."

She groaned, letting herself fall back onto the bed. "Back to the real world, right?"

"Unfortunately," he said, heading back to his side of the bed. He climbed in and pulled her close again. "At least we'll still have each other and the boys when it's done."

"That's very reassuring," she replied, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Since that's the case, I think I can get through anything that might happen."

He kissed her forehead. "Me too. Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Robin." She sighed as she drifted off to sleep, confident that this year was going to be her best one yet.

* * *

 **A/N 2** : If you want to read the full sex scene between Robin and Regina, head over to AO3 for it!

Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope 2019 is very good to all of you!

See everyone for Regina's birthday!

-Mac


	2. Celebrating Regina

**Celebrating Regina**

Robin heard Regina's alarm go off right on schedule. She silenced it seconds later and then slipped from their bed. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even, listening as she hurried into the bathroom to take her shower. It was their usual morning routine and he had set the thermoset to go off soon so that by the time she got out, the room was warm enough for her to change comfortably. Normally, his alarm would then go off and he would get up to get ready himself before they went to wake their boys. But today would be different.

Once the door clicked shut and the shower turned on, Robin shut off his own alarm clock and pushed back the covers. He pulled on his robe and hurried down the hall to the boys' bathroom to get ready. They were on a schedule-especially since his wife loved them—and he had everything timed down to the minute. Robin couldn't waste a single second.

Within minutes, he went through his morning routine before quickly changing into a button-down blue shirt and navy pants for the day. Robin ran his brush through his hair and then went to Roland's room first. His son had taken after Marian and was a morning person, so there was chance he was awake already. If so, that would just leave waking Henry up-which could either go easily or end up being a fight.

Opening the door, Robin was relieved to see Roland sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. He smiled. "Good morning, my boy."

"Morning, Papa. Is Mom up?" Roland asked.

Robin nodded. "So I need you to get up and get ready while I go wake your brother, okay?"

"Okay, Papa." He pushed his blankets back and climbed out of bed, ready to get dressed for the day.

Assured that Roland was getting changed, Robin closed the door and headed next door to see how easy it would be to rouse Henry that morning. He prayed the boy wouldn't put up too much of fight and that everything would continue to go smoothly.

He squared his shoulders and opened the door leading to Henry's room. The boy's brown hair was just visible under his Captain America blanket and his nightlight was starting to dim as sunlight began to fill the room. Robin clicked the little lamp off before leaning down to shake his stepson. "Henry? Henry, it's time to wake up."

A groan greeted him and Henry rolled away from him. "Five more minutes, Dad."

"Not today," Robin told him, pulling on the blankets. "We need to get everything ready for your mother. So up and at 'em, Henry."

He gave a good yank, uncovering the boy. Henry shivered as he sat up, scowling at Robin. "That's not fair."

"Please get dressed and meet me downstairs with your brother," Robin said, placing the blankets back down. "Your mother will be out of the shower soon. We don't have much time to prepare her breakfast."

Sighing, Henry sat up and nodded. "Fine. But I'm doing this for Mom."

"Exactly," Robin told him, walking out the door so he could head downstairs.

He had stayed up the night before, claiming to have some work to do when Regina had tried to entice him to bed. It had taken all his willpower to resist her, especially when she pouted those luscious red lips and dropped her voice into a breathy lower octave. Yet he managed and once she went upstairs, he stole into the kitchen to set everything up. He brought the balloons up from the basement, tying them to her chair—one "Happy Birthday" balloon surrounded by several purple and red ones. Robin then placed a bouquet of purple roses into the vase in the middle of the table. It was perfect for her—not much but not too little.

It still looked perfect as he walked into the kitchen that morning, glad he had stayed up. He knew that if he had gotten up this morning to do it, Regina would've been suspicious about why he was up so early.

"I heard the water turn off," Roland said from his perch at the island. "Mom's going to be down soon."

Robin nodded, clapping his hand together. "Okay, so we're going to have to make something quick. What's a quick breakfast?"

"Cereal?" Roland suggested, earning a glare from his father. They were going to give Regina something better than cereal on her birthday.

"Mom loves eggs," Henry said, stumbling bleary-eyed into the kitchen. "Sunnyside up."

Robin smiled, resisting the urge to muss up the boy's hair. "Great! I'll get started on that. Henry, can I trust you to make some toast for your mother?"

"Yes, Dad," Henry said, hurrying toward the counter.

"Thank you." Robin then turned to Roland. "And can you set up the coffee in the Keurig? You know Mum's favorite, right?"

Roland nodded before heading off to the pantry where they kept the Keurig pods. With both boys hard at work, Robin opened the refrigerator and pulled out the fresh carton of eggs Regina had bought at the grocery store. It was time for Sunnyside up eggs for his beautiful wife.

As Robin worked on the eggs, he saw Henry opened the refrigerator and pull out a jar full of something that looked like very thick applesauce. He raised his eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Apple butter," Henry replied. "Mom's favorite."

"Ahh. Good call, Henry," he praised. "Just be careful with that jar."

Henry promised he would as he carefully carried it over to the table, placing it by Regina's chair. Robin glanced over to find Roland cautiously picking up Regina's favorite mug, now filled with coffee. He asked Henry to get Regina's favorite creamer and the other boy obliged, hurrying back over to the refrigerator.

Robin heard doors opening and closing upstairs. He knew it was Regina checking to see if their sons were awake and getting ready for school, which meant she was going to be coming down any minute now. Plating her eggs, he placed the toast Henry made next to them and brought them over to the table.

"Okay, boys," he said, pulling them close to him. "Your mum is almost here. Big smiles."

"Robin? Henry? Roland? Are you in here?" Regina entered the kitchen, still putting in one of her earrings. She was dressed for work—a black pantsuit with a silky red shirt under the jacket. Robin thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

Her brown eyes widened as she took in the balloons, the flowers, her breakfast and the three of them. "What is going on?"

"Happy birthday!" they exclaimed. Henry and Roland then raced toward her, hugging her at the same time.

She wrapped her arms around them even as she glanced around, still looking surprised. "You…You did this for me?"

"Of course we did," Roland said, looking up at her with adoration in his eyes.

Henry nodded. "It's your birthday!"

Robin stepped closer, smiling at her. "And we love you so much, we want to celebrate you from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep."

"Sap," she said, though she smiled back at him and he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

He cupped her cheek, smirking. "You love me for it."

"I do," she replied, closing the gap between them to kiss him. It was chaste and quick, but it still conveyed all the love they felt for each other.

He loved that particular talent of theirs.

Pulling back, Robin motioned to the table. "Your breakfast is served. You should eat it before it gets cold."

"Yeah, Mom! It's your favorite—Sunnyside up eggs and toast with apple butter," Henry said, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the table.

Roland gently pushed her from behind. "And I made your favorite coffee with your favorite creamer."

She chuckled as she looked over the breakfast, sitting down at the table. Regina then kissed each boy on the cheek. "It looks amazing. Thank you…but what about all of you? Did you eat?"

Roland and Henry looked up at Robin with wide eyes and he chuckled. "Do you boys want eggs too?"

"Scrambled, please!" Roland exclaimed and Henry nodded in agreement.

Chuckling, Robin nodded. "Okay. Go get plates and silverware for yourselves while I make your eggs for you."

The boys did that while Robin cracked a few more eggs. He watched as Henry opened the refrigerator again, pulling out the ketchup bottle, and frowned. "What's that for?"

"My eggs," Henry replied. "You can't have scrambled eggs without ketchup."

"Okay," Robin said, trying not to crinkle his nose. He wasn't fond of eating his eggs that way but he wasn't going to make Henry feel bad for it. The boy should enjoy his eggs however he liked.

Roland appeared beside him, looking up at Robin. "Can we have some juice please?"

"I can get it for them," Regina offered, standing from the table.

Henry stepped in front of her, almost blocking her path as he shook his head. "It's your birthday, Mom."

She chuckled, crouching down to tuck her fingers under his chin. "I know, sweetheart, but that doesn't mean I can't get you and your brother some juice. It would make me really happy to do that."

"Oh," Henry said, sounding surprised. "Okay, then. Thank you, Mom."

"Yeah, thank you, Mom," Roland echoed, moving toward the table himself.

Regina caught Robin's eye and winked as she opened the refrigerator. She pulled out the orange juice, brushing past him as she headed to grab two glasses. "You didn't have to do this," she whispered to him.

"Do what?" he asked. "Make a big deal about your birthday? Of course I did. I am never going to miss a chance to celebrate you."

She shook her head as she smiled, kissing him again before pouring two glasses of juice. "Hurry up with those eggs. We don't want to be late," she warned him.

"Right," he said, plating the rest of the eggs and carrying them over to the table. "Breakfast is served."

Everyone took their seats and Robin realized that Regina had also placed a mug of coffee by his chair. He gave her a look and she only smiled in response. "Best birthday ever," she declared.

"And it's just getting started," Roland told her.

Henry nodded. "We've got things planned all day for you."

"Do you?" she asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that both your father and I have work while you two have school, right?"

"But you and I have a lunch break," Robin reminded her, smirking at her. "I've already talked to Mal and your court calendar is clear for a couple hours."

She stared at him, her mouth falling open a bit. "You did what?"

He held up his hands, knowing how much she hated to have people change things without her consent—he understood why she didn't like it after spending only a few hours with her mother. He understood a lot after that. "I didn't ask her to do anything for me. I only asked if you would have some time free for a birthday lunch and she said that you already had that time free."

"Oh," she said, blinking a few times as a smile slowly bloomed on her face. "So where are we going to lunch?"

He shrugged. While he had had a few places in mind, he knew that the final decision needed to be left up to her. It was her birthday and he wanted to minimize how many surprises he sprung on her. Breakfast had seemed safe enough but all her meals was too much. "Do you want to go somewhere in particular?"

"I don't know," she said, "but I have been craving Spanish food lately. I'm not entirely sure if there is a place in Storybrooke where I can get some."

"Spanish food. I think I can do that," he said, stroking his chin. None of the places he had considered fit hat description but he was sure John would have a recommendation or two.

Regina checked her watch. "Thank you for the breakfast, boys, but you two need to get ready for school. The bus will be here any minute."

Henry and Roland jumped up, each kissing her on the cheek before hurrying from the room. Standing, Robin followed them and watched as they put on their shoes and their coats. Both boys picked up their school bags as he opened the door, revealing the bus just pulling up at the end of the walk. He hugged both of them, kissing the tops of their heads. "Have a good day and I'll pick you up later, okay?"

"Okay, Papa," Roland said as Henry nodded. They hurried down the walk and got on the bus.

He closed the door as Regina came up behind him. She smiled as she slid on her shoes. "I have to go as well. Thank you for breakfast."

"You're welcome," he said, gently gripping her waist. "Have a good day, sweetheart. I'll see you for lunch."

She smiled, pressing her forehead to his. "I can't wait."

He kissed her before turning to pull down her coat. As he handed it to her, he told her: "Have a good day, Regina."

"You too." She gave him a quick kiss as she straightened up her coat. Regina picked up her briefcase before heading out of the house.

He closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, getting ready for his own work day.

* * *

Regina left a courtroom, pleased with her success in getting an attempted murderer remanded to county jail. The streets of Storybrooke were safer and the people could sleep easier knowing he was safe behind bars. She walked down the hall with an extra pep in her step, a bright smile on her face as she knew Robin was waiting for her.

"Someone is happy." Zelena's voice froze her and she forgot how to breathe for a moment.

Turning slowly, Regina found her sister standing in the hallway that connected town hall with the courthouse. She wore a dark black coat that was open to reveal a tight green dress with a black stripe down the skirt. Zelena wore bright green heels and they clicked as she walked closer to Regina.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked her.

"Is that how you greet your sister?" Zelena asked, pretending to be hurt.

Regina wasn't fooled. "You don't just 'stop by,' Zelena. We don't have that type of relationship. So either you're here on business or you're here to deliver a message from Mother. Which is it?"

"Mother wants you to call her. She wants to invite you and Henry up to the house for a dinner to celebrate your birthday," Zelena replied.

"She's never wanted to celebrate before," Regina pointed out. "I've always celebrated on my own."

Her sister shrugged. "I guess Mother had a change of heart."

"And I'm sure my inheritance has nothing to do with it," Regina shot back.

"You're being ridiculous about this," Zelena countered.

Regina crossed her arms. "Mother made me grovel for money that was already mine and made me bear all her nasty comments. No more. She can't control me. And you shouldn't let her control you either."

"I am not being controlled," she snapped, her cheeks turning as red as her hair. "Your new husband has your mind all twisted."

"He doesn't have my mind twisted. You know Mother has been manipulating us for years. Her idea of family and love is all wrong. And if you're not careful, it could cost you," Regina warned.

A cold look came to Zelena's eyes and she frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you need to worry less about my husband and more about your own," Regina said, starting to walk away from her sister. "And tell Mother I have plans for my birthday."

"Robin is not your family!" Zelena yelled after her.

Regina raised her left hand in the air. "This ring says otherwise."

"He's going to leave you once the shine wears off your new marriage. Mark my words, Regina!"

Her only response to her sister was to raise her middle finger in the air, a smirk on her face as she entered her office. Mal raised her eyebrow, fighting the urge to smile. "Who are you flipping off? Do I have to worry about a complaint?"

"I doubt anyone would complain," Regina said, "at least not to you. I'm sure my sister is going to go crying to our mother."

Mal chuckled. "Well, that is one complaint I will be more than happy to ignore. You give that family of yours the middle finger all you want."

"I second that," Robin said, stepping into the office behind her. He kissed her cheek. "So that _was_ Zelena I saw storming out of here a few minutes ago."

She nodded. "Mother apparently wanted to throw me a birthday dinner. I said I already had plans."

"And I'm sure they are a lot more fun than anything your mother had planned," he said, winking at her.

"I have no doubt about that," she replied, kissing his cheek. "So, should I go get my coat?"

He nodded. "I swear it's gotten colder out there. And while the forecasts say the snow storms will miss us, I think we're going to see some."

She groaned, heading to her office. "Just wonderful. The last thing we need is more snow. Can't spring just get here?"

"It's Maine," Mal called back. "Spring won't get here until well after Easter."

Regina sighed as she returned to the lobby, slipping on her coat. "Well, as long as the snow waits until after we're all home, I'll be happy."

"Then I shall expect you back after your lunch," Mal said, winking at her. "Unless you happen to get 'sick.'"

She knew that her boss and friend was giving her an out but Regina just smiled. No matter how much she loved spending time with Robin, she also loved her job. "I doubt that will happen. I'll see you after lunch."

Regina took Robin's hand and he led her from the courthouse, guiding her to his car. She shivered as she hit the winter air, certain that it had gotten colder. Snow didn't seem so far-fetched anymore, not as she watched some gray clouds float over the town. Once they got into the car, Robin turned on the heat and she sighed as the warmth washed over her.

He put the car into reverse and carefully backed out onto the street by town hall. She watched him, smiling. "So, where are we going?"

"Well, I did some research and I found out that Storybrooke does in fact have a Spanish restaurant," he said.

Surprise filled her and she felt her eyes widen. "Really?"

He nodded. "It's off the beaten path and kind of a hidden treasure but John swears the food is the best he's ever had, except at Granny's."

"Well, if there's someone I trust when it comes to food, it's John," she replied, thinking of his portly friend and his legendary appetite.

Robin laughed. "I'll let him know you valuable his opinion when it comes to food. Though I'll wait until we try this Spanish place. Make sure it's as good as he says it is."

He turned down a small side street and she frowned, noticing mostly residential houses. "This restaurant is real, right? It's not going to end up being some person's house you're paying to make me Spanish food, right?"

"Do you think I would honestly do that?" he asked her, glancing over at her.

"If you thought it would make me smile," she replied, "yes."

He bit his lip, eyes returning to his road. "Well, I can't deny that. But no, I didn't do that this time."

"So I guess when John said off the beaten path, he meant it," she said, watching as he made another turn.

"Indeed," he replied before his eyes lit up. "Oh, I think I found it. Now, I just have to find a parking spot."

It was easy to miss the restaurant as it blended in with the other buildings on the block, non-descript except for the yellow awning with red letters spelling out "FIESTA!" on it. She raised her eyebrow. "Wow. I'm not sure to be impressed or underwhelmed."

"Let's not judge a book by its cover," he told her, maneuvering into a spot in front of a building a couple doors down from the restaurant. "Let's see what the food is like."

She nodded, getting out of the car once he turned off the engine. Regina waited for him on the sidewalk and the two walked over to the restaurant holding hands. He opened the door for her and she hurried into the warm establishment.

Tantalizing aromas filled the air and she felt her mouth water as they waited for the hostess. She glanced at the decorations, finding several tables and booths in the room. The walls were lined with pictures and souvenirs from Spain, including the Spanish flag. She took Robin's arm as she said: "It's nicely decorated and clean."

"So it already has two things going for it," he said, teasing her gently.

"Three," she corrected. "It also smells delicious."

He laughed, nodding. "True. So it has three things going for it and that last one is a probably a good indication that the food is delicious as well."

"Bienvenudos," a woman dressed in a bright yellow dress with a flowy skirt greeted them. "Two?"

When Robin confirmed the number, she pulled out two menus and told them to follow her. She led them toward the back of the room, revealing that half the room was filled with lunch-goers. Regina was impressed and she gave Robin's arm a squeeze before whispering: "Looks like more people than we thought know about this place."

"I see," he replied back in a whisper. "Hopefully it's a good sign and further proof the food here is good."

The waitress stopped at a table, putting down the menus. She turned to smile. "Your server will be right with you. Enjoy your meal."

Robin thanked her before pulling out one of the chairs. "For you, milady."

"You dork," Regina replied before sitting down. He pushed her in before taking his own seat. She picked up the menu. "Let's see if this place is as good as John said."

* * *

Regina leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach. She was certain she had gained a few pounds and was surprised there wasn't a pudge there to prove it. "John was right. This place is amazing."

"I'd tell John he'd have a great career as a food critic but I'd lose my best employee," Robin said, rubbing his own stomach.

She chuckled before looking down at their empty plates again. "We definitely need to come back here. And bring the boys. I want Henry to try a proper empanada."

"Roland too," Robin agreed. "I don't know how I've gone so long without eating an empanada."

"I'm glad that got remedied," she said, straightening up as she searched for their waiter. "We should get the bill though. I have to go back."

He nodded, also sitting up straighter to look around. Robin spotted the young man and waved him down. "I should head back too. I have to assure John his recommendation was a good one."

She laughed, nodding. "Thank him for me. It's been far too long since I've had good Spanish food."

"Since your mother sent Ines away?" Robin asked softly.

The waiter stopped by their table and as Robin requested the check, Regina took a sip of her water to get her emotions under control. She was touched that he remembered the name of her beloved housekeeper despite her only mentioning the woman once but it did bring up some sadness over what had happened to Ines. There was also sadness over the real reason she had gone so long without Spanish food.

When the waiter walked away, she reached for Robin's hand. "I haven't had Spanish food since my father died. He used to make it for me and Zelena on days Mother worked late or had other engagements."

He smiled at her, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Was he a good cook?"

"Yes, he was," she replied, smiling at the memory of the meals. "He loved to cook. I think I get my love of baking from him."

"Did he leave behind any recipes? Maybe we could try our hand at cooking them," he offered.

She shook her head, sadness overwhelming her as she recalled standing in the kitchen and shouting as her mother shed her father's recipe cards. "Mother destroyed them. She insisted that was end of that nonsense and we would eat proper food now."

He frowned, his eyes clouding over. "What an awful woman. After Mum died, Dad and I only ate foods that reminded us of her. We even tried to replicate some of her recipes. They never tasted quite the same but they definitely helped with the grief."

"This food definitely took me back," she said, looking at the crumbs of their meal. It was a bittersweet feeling. She missed her father but the memories made her happy as well.

"You said you had a lot of family on his side," Robin said, leaning forward. "Can you reach out to them? I'm sure someone has the recipes."

She looked down. "We don't have much of a relationship with his side of the family. Mother alienated us from them."

"Of course she did," he replied, sounding annoyed.

The waiter returned with their bill and Robin pulled out his wallet, settling it. Once the waiter went to run Robin's credit card, he turned back to her. "Have you tried to reach out to them now?"

She shook her head. "What would I say? Hey, sorry my mom was a bitch to you for a long time, wanna be family now?"

"Sounds like a start to me," he said, taking the receipt from the waiter so he could add the tip and sign it. He handed it back, tucking his wallet back into his pockets. "What do you have to lose?"

Regina opened her mouth before closing it again. The worst-case scenario—the likely one, if she was honest with herself—was that her relatives hung up on her and never spoke with her again. Which would just mean that the status quo would continue. "Nothing, I suppose," she replied.

"You don't have to call them right away," he told her, pushing his chair back. "Whenever you are ready."

She nodded. "I will. Once I can track down their numbers. Mr. French might have them. I'll ask him."

"Sounds like a plan." He leaned against her chair, kissing her. "Come on, I believe you wanted to go back to work."

"I do," she said, standing. She kissed him. "Thank you for a wonderful birthday lunch. I'm excited to see what you and the boys do for dinner."

He smirked. "I think you'll be very impressed, if I do say so myself."

She laughed, taking his hand. "Never change, Robin Locksley."

"I don't plan to do so," he assured as they walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

The snow started shortly after Robin returned to his store. John let him know, coming into his office during a lull. Robin sighed, thanking him. "Let me know if it starts to get really bad," he said.

"Okay," John replied. "You picking up the boys from school?"

Robin nodded. "That's the plan, as long as the snow doesn't make the roads treacherous."

"Well, it's nearing pick up time," John said, eyeing the clock in Robin's office. "I think you should be good. Or maybe they'll let them out early."

Glancing at the clock, Robin shook his head. "It's too close to dismissal. It would be too much work to dismiss them early rather than waiting."

"Makes sense," John said before heading back out to mind the front of the store.

Robin turned back to his books when his phone dinged. He picked it up, seeing a message from Regina.

 _Snow is starting to pick up. Mayor closing Town Hall and the courts for the day. Mal's throwing me out so I'm heading home. Be careful picking up the boys._

He texted her back.

 _I promise to be careful. You be careful too and we'll see you at home really soon. Love you._

Robin barely put his phone down before it dinged, letting him know she had responded.

 _I love you too._

He smiled, setting the phone down again as John appeared in the door. John looked very solemn and Robin knew what he was going to say. "It's getting bad out there, isn't it?" he asked.

John nodded. "I think they're going to start closing roads soon. You might want to head out to the school."

"Good idea," Robin said, closing his books and powering down his computer. "You should lock up and head out too. I don't want you getting stuck."

"Yeah, I think everyone is just going to head home and stay warm," John agreed.

Robin stood, reaching for his keys. "Which sounds absolutely wonderful. Stay safe and I'll call you tomorrow to let you know what we're going to do."

"You stay safe too," John said, shaking his head. He then smirked. "And enjoy your night in keeping your beautiful wife warm."

"Her birthday night," Robin reminded him with an excited smile.

John chuckled. "Knowing you, she's really going to enjoy it."

Robin gave his friend a playful side eye as he put on his coat. "You know I don't kiss and tell."

"I'm impressed you managed to say that with a straight face," John replied. "You tell me everything."

"I didn't tell you everything Marian and I did. And I'm not going to tell you everything Regina and I do," Robin told him.

John chuckled, clapping him on the back. "Fair enough. Keep your secrets. Now, go get your boys. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Regina heard the door open and she padded out of the living room, watching as snow blew in with her husband and their sons. They were all bundled up and she smiled, approaching Roland to help him take everything off. "Is it getting worse out there?"

"Yeah," Roland said, eyes lighting up. "Papa says they may have to cancel school tomorrow!"

"Then I should probably plan some snow day activities for us tomorrow, huh?" she asked. Both boys cheered and she laughed.

Robin smiled as he hung up his coat. "I think we first need to get through your mother's birthday tonight."

Both boys brightened and Henry smiled at her. "We're going to make you a special dinner."

"I know," she said, hugging both to her side. "I can't wait."

"Well, I think we should all change into comfy clothes. And maybe Mum can have her birthday bath now while we get dinner ready for her?" Robin suggested.

They all turned to look at her and she pretended to ponder the idea, even though every part of her agreed with it. She then nodded. "I think a bath sounds lovely."

"We'll go draw it for you," Roland said, heading up the stairs. Henry was right on his heels, the two sounding like a stampede going up to the second floor.

Robin chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her. He kissed her head. "I'm glad you got an early day for your birthday."

She smiled as she leaned against him. "Me too. And thank you for doing all of this for me."

"I know I can't make up for how shitty your mother was to you, but I'm going to make sure the rest of your life is as happy as possible," he told her, hugging her. "And don't worry, I've already told everyone else that you'll still have your usual birthday celebration at Granny's, so we won't have any unexpected guests."

It touched her that he remembered about her tradition to celebrate with her friends on another day that wasn't her birthday and she gave him a quick kiss. "You're the best."

"I try," he replied before glancing up the stairs as the boys' laughter drifted from the second floor. "I should probably check on them, huh?"

She nodded. "It's probably for the best. They're good kids but I can imagine they might fill the tub a little too much."

He winced and she knew the same image was going through his mind—water splashing on the floor and getting everything wet. With one more quick kiss, he headed upstairs. "I'll let you know when you can come up," he told her over his shoulder.

"I'll be here, waiting," she replied, grinning. She couldn't recall a happier birthday.

* * *

"Okay, your mother is soaking in her bath," Robin said, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's get her birthday dinner started."

The boys cheered and Henry motioned to her cookbooks. "Do you need one, Dad?"

"No, I know how to make pasta primavera," Robin assured him, pulling out the chopping block. "Who wants to help me chop the vegetables?"

"Can I chop the carrots?" Henry asked.

"I want to slice the zucchini," Roland said, stepping up to the counter. "Please?"

Robin chuckled. "Okay, but you both have to be careful. It's snowing, which will make it difficult to get to the hospital if you hurt yourselves."

Their eyes grew wide and nodded solemnly. "We'll be careful, Dad," Henry promised.

"Good," he said, setting them up with their requested vegetable as he preheated the oven. He then worked on the peppers, keeping an eye on the boys as they chopped.

Once all the vegetables were ready, he laid all the vegetables on a baking sheet and seasoned them with herbs and spices according to the recipe he used. Robin then placed the sheet in the oven and started the pasta.

"Is there anything else we can do, Papa?" Roland asked, sliding up next to him at the counter.

"How about you two set the table?" Robin suggested, pulling out the silverware drawer. "Just the forks and knives. I'll deal with the plates later."

"What about the cups?" Henry asked, pointing to the cabinet. "Shouldn't we put those out as well?"

Robin nodded, mussing up his hair. "That's a good idea. Do you need me to get them down for you?"

"Please, Dad?" Henry responded, nodding.

"Okay," he said, opening the cabinet. He pulled out four cups and held them out to Henry. "Can you handle all of these at once?"

Henry nodded as he took the cups, balancing them carefully. "I got them, Dad. Thank you."

As he walked back to the table, Robin busied himself with the pasta and checking on the vegetables. Everything was coming along fine and he was confident dinner would be perfect. His phone buzzed and he picked it up, smiling when he saw a text from his wife.

 _I don't want to enjoy this bath too much and ruin the rest of your plans for the evening. Promise to let me know when I need to get out and start getting ready to rejoin you all for dinner?_

He sent her a response, quickly typing out:

 _Soak for a bit longer but get out in ten minutes. That should give all of us plenty of time._

"Who are you texting?" Roland asked, returning to the counter. He rose onto his tiptoes to try to get a look at the phone screen.

Robin tucked it into his pocket, smiling at his son. "Your mother. Just letting her know when she needs to get out of the tub."

"Oh," he replied. "Does she need any help?"

"I think she'll be fine," Robin told him as the oven beeped. "Now, stand back. I need to check the vegetables."

Roland nodded, taking two giant steps back as Robin opened the oven. With his hand in an oven mitt, he grabbed the baking sheet and checked the vegetables. Content they were cooked, he took them out and added them to the pasta.

"It smells delicious, Dad," Henry said, now joining them at the counter. "Mom's gonna love it."

"I hope so," Robin said, mixing the vegetables and pasta.

Henry bit his lip, a gesture that reminded Robin of Regina. "Should we make a salad too?" he asked.

"I don't think we need one," Robin decided as he pulled out four plates. "The pasta has vegetables after all."

"Good point," Henry said. "Mom will be happy with that."

Robin nodded, motioning to the table. "Why don't you and Roland go sit down? I'll handle putting the pasta on the plates."

Both boys hurried to their chairs as Robin scooped up the pasta and vegetables. He placed them on each plate, giving everyone a good portion while leaving some for seconds if anyone wanted. Carefully, he carried over two plates before going back for the other—determined to have the table ready for when Regina came down from her bath.

"Are you going to give Mom some wine for her dinner?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Robin said, grateful for the reminder as he pulled out the bottle of pinot noir he had bought for her. "Thank you, Henry."

He poured her a glass as he heard her coming down the stairs. _Right on time_ , he thought with a smile. Picking up the glass, he turned and greeted her with it as she entered the kitchen. "For you, birthday girl."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a quick kiss. The smell of her vanilla shampoo washed over him and he took a deep whiff, enjoying the scent.

She pulled away, taking the glass as she went to the table. After setting it down at her seat, she hugged her two boys. "And thank you for helping your father."

"Anything for you, Mom," Henry said, kissing her cheek.

"Happy Birthday," Roland added, kissing her other cheek.

Robin grabbed his phone, taking a picture of the scene before setting it down again. He pulled out her chair, bowing to her. "For you, milady."

She chuckled, taking the seat. She then gave an elaborate bow as well. "Thank you, milord."

"You two are weird," Roland said, scrunching his nose as Henry nodded.

Robin chuckled as he took his seat, explaining: "We're in love."

"And love makes you act weird?" Henry asked, confused.

"Sometimes," he replied, sipping his own glass of wine. He grinned as he shared a wink with Regina. "You'll find out when you're older."

Both boys sighed and Regina distracted them, picking up her fork. "Well, I can't wait to taste this delicious dinner."

All three watched as she took a forkful of pasta and vegetables and placed it in her mouth. She chewed, chewed, chewed and swallowed, washing it down with a sip of her wine. Glancing at them, she raised her eyebrow. "Are you going to watch me eat or are you going to eat as well?"

"Is it good?" Henry asked. "Do you like it?"

She smiled, leaning toward him. "It's delicious. I love it and I think you will too. You as well, Roland."

Both dug into their pasta, taking bites of the spaghetti and vegetables. Robin held his breath as they chewed and swallowed, releasing it when they smiled. They continued to eat and he relaxed, certain his dinner was a hit.

"What about the chef?" she asked him softly, reaching out to cover his hand with her own. "Are you going to eat too?"

He smiled, picking up his fork. "Yes, I am. I was just making sure everyone liked dinner."

"We do," she assured him. "Now you eat and we'll have some conversation. Tell me about school, boys."

Roland and Henry started to tell her about their day as Robin dug her fork into his pasta. He tried it and it did taste really good. Relaxing, he continued to eat as the boys talked animatedly and Regina listened. It made him smile and he sipped his own wine, happy for such a perfect evening.

* * *

Regina relaxed in her chair, finishing up her wine as Robin and the boys cleaned up from dinner. She set down her glass, smiling at them. "So what's next for tonight?"

"Dessert!" Roland said, bouncing in his chair. "We got you an amazing cake from the bakery since we didn't have time to make it ourselves."

She chuckled. "I think we all need to digest before we have cake. Why don't we watch a movie?"

"I think a movie sounds great," Robin said, leaning against her chair. He smiled at the two boys. "What do you say?"

Roland cheered but Henry looked thoughtful. "What about our homework?" he asked, ignoring how his brother groaned his name.

She chuckled, proud of her little scholar. "I'm pretty sure you're having a snow day tomorrow, sweetheart. You can do it then."

"Oh," Henry said, thinking it over. He then smiled. "Then I definitely want to have a family movie night!"

Everyone laughed and Robin clapped his hands. "Movie night with the birthday girl it is. Let's go into the living room and pick a movie."

Both boys jumped off their chairs, heading into the living room. Regina and Robin followed at a slower pace. She wrapped her arm around him. "Thank you for my birthday celebration. I've enjoyed it a lot."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he replied, kissing her head. "I just want to make sure you are happy and loved."

She smiled, feeling her cheeks heat up. "You do that every day."

They entered the living room and the boys had the movie ready to go. Regina sat down on the couch and they climbed onto it, flanking her so they both could cuddle against her. As he sat down, Robin covered them all in a fleece blanket. He picked up the remote. "Everyone ready?" he asked.

All three of them nodded and he started up _Meet the Robinsons._ Regina hugged her boys against her as she felt Robin slide his arm behind her head. She sighed, smiling as the movie played on. This was really the birthday she never thought she would ever have and she was grateful to her boys for throwing it for her.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mom, happy birthday to you," Roland and Henry sang as Robin set her cake in front of Regina.

The glow from the candles made her eyes sparkle as she gathered her hair in her hand, holding it back as she blew them out. Roland and Henry clapped as Robin flipped on the light, taking a paper plate to wave away the little trails of smoke. "Okay, birthday girl now gets to cut the cake," he declared.

He handed her a knife and she easily sliced into the cake. She gasped softly, smiling at them. "Is this red velvet?"

They nodded and Robin motioned to Henry with his head. "A little birdy told me it was your favorite."

"It is," she said, cutting herself a nice slice of the cake. "And that's why I'm going to enjoy it and not worry about the calories."

He kissed the top of her head. "I second that."

She set aside her plate before smiling at the boys. "Do you two want slices as well?"

"Yes, please," Henry said as Roland nodded excitedly.

Robin took the knife from her, handing her a fork instead. "I'll cut the slices. You enjoy your cake."

She didn't put up a fight and dug into her cake happily, eating it as he served their sons. Robin then cut a slice for himself and settled into his seat. Before he took a bite, he asked her: "Is it good?"

"Delicious," she said, almost moaning. It went right to his cock and he swallowed, knowing his thoughts were becoming inappropriate with the boys still there.

He took his own bite, savoring the flavoring with a low groan of his own. "Oh, this is heavenly."

"Where did you get this again?" she asked.

"A little bakery not far from Granny's," he replied. "I think it's new—called the Gingerbread House. The proprietor is…interesting."

Roland nodded. "She's able to make all the cakes and pies and cookies even though she can't see. It's amazing!"

"That does sound impressive," Regina agreed.

Henry, though, looked pensive. "She kinda gave me the creeps."

She frowned, turning to her son. "Because she was blind?"

"No," he replied. "That's not creepy. She kept making these comments about how little boys were her favorite and that we always smell so much sweeter than girls."

Roland scrunched his nose, nodding. "It almost sounded like she wanted to eat us instead of her cakes."

"There was something off-putting about the way she talked to the boys," Robin agreed. He had already made a mental note to never go back with them if he wanted something from the bakery.

She frowned. "Well, maybe she was just joking but it fell flat. But if you two don't want to go back, we won't force you."

"Well, let's not let her ruin this great cake or this wonderful night," Robin said, squeezing her hand. He pulled it back as he picked up the knife. "Who wants another slice?"

Both boys' hands went right up in the air and Regina chuckled. "Only slivers. School may be closed tomorrow, but you still need to get your sleep."

They groaned but nodded. Robin bit the inside of his cheek as he cut two small slices, placing one on each of their plates. He then turned to Regina. "And for you, birthday girl?"

"I'll take a sliver too," she said, holding out her plate to him. "After all, calories don't count, right?"

"Not on your birthday," he confirmed, placing the slice there. "So enjoy."

She grinned, digging her fork in and taking a bite. He watched as she closed her eyes, enjoying it.

Perfect.

* * *

Regina stood at her bedroom window, watching as the snow continued to fall. Mal had already called to tell her the courts would be closed the next day as the town focused on cleaning up from the snowstorm. It had then been followed by the expected call from the school to confirm what they had already figured—no school the next day. She knew she and Robin would have a busy day tomorrow digging out but there was time to focus on that after her birthday was over.

Strong arms wrapped around her and she smiled as she leaned back against Robin's chest. He kissed her neck as she asked: "Are the boys in bed?"

"They are," he confirmed. "Fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows and no doubt won't wake until the morning."

"Good," she hummed, turning in his arms. She rested her hands on his chest, playing with his shirt. "I think you should change into something more…comfortable."

Her voice dropped into a lower register and it didn't go unnoticed judging by the way he visibly swallowed. Robin cleared his throat before saying: "I think I'll go do that. Wait here."

She watched as he pulled away, hurrying into the bathroom. Regina untied her bathrobe and throw it over the chair in her bedroom. After smoothing out the silky red and black teddy she put on, she climbed onto the bed and laid there with her arm resting against her forehead and her other hand tantalizingly close to her sex.

Robin stepped out of the bedroom in only his boxers. He flipped off the light as he bit his lip, looking her over. "I thought it was your birthday. Why do I feel like I'm getting the gift?"

"Because this is one we can share," she replied, motioning for him to come over with her finger.

He approached the bed before frowning. She frowned as well, sitting up. "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't get you a present," he said, rubbing her arms. "I arranged everything else and I didn't even get you a present."

She rose up on her knees, rubbing his arms. "You gave me an amazing present—a wonderful birthday. You didn't have to buy me anything."

"You deserve to be showered with gifts," he said, kissing her forehead. "I shall remedy it on Valentine's Day."

Regina shook her head, now cupping his face. "You don't have to get me anything, Robin. I'm happy just spending time with you."

He kissed her, easing her down onto the bed. "I'm happy spending time with you but I think you still deserve to be spoiled."

"I don't need some worthless bauble to be spoiled," she told him. "That's how my mother wants to be spoiled, she measures how much she is loved by how much you spend on her. That's not love at all."

She really didn't need expensive gifts to make her birthday or Valentine's day special. Everything he had done for her today alone meant more to her than anything her mother had gotten her over the years. These were memories she would cherish forever.

Robin smiled, nuzzling her. "How about if I got you something that held a lot of meaning? Like a keepsake?"

"I would appreciate a keepsake," she admitted. "Just as long as it had some special meaning or connection. Are you thinking of something?"

His smile turned coy as he replied: "Maybe I am. What do you say to that?"

"That I'm intrigued," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck again. "But that I'm more interested in fucking you than continuing this conversation."

Robin's eyes widened slightly before he smirked at her. "I love it when you get blunt and direct like that."

"You mean bossy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "No. I meant what I said. No hidden meanings there."

"You really love it when I'm blunt and direct?" She bit her lip, looking as if she doubted his words.

"I do," he said, pressing his groin to her so she could feel his hardening cock. "It really turns me on."

She grinned, rolling her hips and drawing a groan out of him. Regina pressed a kiss to the shell of his ear. "I can tell."

"We'll need to be quiet," he told her, grinding against her. It sent her mind reeling and it took a few moments for her to process what he had said.

Regina bit her lip, nodding. "I can try. Do you think you can?"

"I guess we're going to find out," he replied, pulling off his t-shirt.

She ran her hands over his chest. "Less talking, more kissing."

"Happily," he replied, kissing her neck as they continued their private celebration of her birthday.

* * *

Robin and Regina slept late the next morning, still curled around each other. They showered together and she felt a thrill when she saw the purpling bite marks on her husband's neck and shoulder. She smirked as he donned a tan-colored turtleneck to hide them from their sons, kissing his cheek as she passed by him. "I'll go wake up the boys. Can you start breakfast?"

"Of course," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "I'm starting to really like snow days."

She chuckled as she rested her hand on his chest. "Me too."

As he kissed her, she sighed into it. Though she wasn't ready to say it out loud, she was starting to really like birthdays as well.

* * *

 **A/N** : Here's how Regina celebrated her first birthday married to Robin! He's certainly going to make sure she knows every year that he's very glad she was born.

Next time, we'll see how Robin and Regina celebrate their first Valentine's Day together. He's going to remember what she said about the type of present she likes to get. It may not go up exactly on Valentine's Day as I'll have to give my Love from OQ present priority, but it will be up around then!

If you want to read the birthday smut, you'll need to head over to AO3 or Wattpad.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

-Mac


	3. Valentine's Day

**"Valentine's Day"**

Regina stood in front of her mirror, checking her appearance. She smoothed down the skirt of the red cocktail dress she had bought before wrapping a black shawl around her bare shoulders. Her dark hair was curled and pinned up, a few tendrils framing her face. She hadn't gone overboard with her makeup except to go with a very bold shade of red for her lips. Diamond studs rested in her earlobes, matching the diamonds that decorated the gold heart she wore around her neck. Regina grabbed her red clutch, the same color as the red on her Louboutin shoes. They clicked against the floor as she headed downstairs.

"Wow," Henry said, peeking out from the living room. His hazel eyes were wide. "You look beautiful, Mom."

"I wanna see!" Roland joined his brother and stuck his head out of the living room. His eyes widened as well. "You look like a model!"

She smiled as she reached the bottom step, twirling around so they could admire the full outfit. "You think?"

"I don't think it's really our opinion that matters tonight," Tink said, joining the boys. She hugged them against her side as she grinned at Regina. "It's Robin's."

"Dad always thinks Mom looks beautiful," Henry said. "He tells her that all the time."

Roland nodded. "And then her cheeks get all pink, like they are now."

"It's just makeup," she told him, though she felt the heat in her cheeks that told her it was a real blush.

"It's not just makeup," Robin said, coming in from the kitchen. He wore his tuxedo, this time with a red bow tie and matching cummerbund. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "All that does is enhance how naturally beautiful you are."

She melted in his embrace, reaching up to cup his cheek. "You and your golden tongue."

"I can show you what else this tongue can do," he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows for added emphasis.

"Okay, boys, why don't you go wait for me inside while I talk to your parents?" Tink's voice reminded them they weren't alone and they jumped apart, looking at their very smug babysitter.

She crossed her arms once the boys were gone. "Okay, you two. Go and enjoy your Valentine's Day. Don't worry about us. The boys will be fine. And, as always, keep in mind that I do have a packed bag in the car in case you need me to stay overnight. Just shoot me a text to let me know."

Regina took a deep breath, knowing the message in her friend's words. It was always a tempting offer—she and Robin liked to get loud during sex but more often than not had to stifle themselves so they didn't wake the boys. But it was also a weekday night and she wasn't going to show up to work in such a fancy dress.

"We'll be home tonight," Robin told Tink, as if reading Regina's mind "It'll be late but it'll be tonight."

"Okay. But the offer is still there," she replied. "You two have fun."

As Robin went to get their coats, Regina turned to Tink. "Can you get the boys? I want to say goodnight before we go."

Tink nodded, heading into the living room and telling the boys to say goodnight to their parents. Henry and Roland raced out, hugging her. "Goodnight, Mom!" they said together.

"Goodnight," she told them, kissing their cheeks. "Your father and I love you very much and will see you in the morning. Okay?"

"Okay," they replied.

Regina stood up, letting Robin help her into her coat. She buttoned herself up as he hugged the boys, wishing them a goodnight as well. Once her scarf was tied and her gloves were on, he stood and took her hand. "Are you ready, Valentine?" he asked.

"I am," she replied, heading to the door with him. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she eagerly anticipated a romantic evening out with her husband.

* * *

"The Storybrooke Conservatory?" Regina gaped as he pulled up to the beautiful building her mother rented out for her annual ball. It wasn't a restaurant or a place where food was usually served—that was just something Mother paid a ridiculous amount of money to ask them to do.

He nodded, turning the car off. "I have a big surprise for you."

"Robin, how much is this costing you?" she asked him, her heart beating faster. She knew he had a vast fortune thanks to his inheritance but she didn't want him to spend too much on her. She didn't need extravagant displays. All she needed was his love.

"Not as much as you probably fear," he replied, opening his door. "Come on."

She opened her own door and climbed down. Closing it, she walked forward to meet up with him. Other cars were parked in the lot and there were lights on in the place, which confused her even more. "Robin, really, what's going on? You know how much I hate surprises and this is pushing my limits as it is."

He stopped, turning to take her hands in his. "The Conservatory is having a Valentine's Day special. When I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for us."

"And they're really not going out of their way for us?" she asked, still hesitant.

"Really," he promised her. "I made a few requests but that was also part of the package I selected. And they were more than happy to oblige me."

That still didn't calm her nerves as she scoffed: "Yeah, I'm sure."

He slouched a bit to look her in the eyes, an eyebrow raised. "Before I told you about being a Wakefield, did you know I was rich?"

She pressed her lips together but she knew he had her. "No, I didn't."

"Do you think anyone else in Storybrooke knows I'm rich?" he asked next.

"I think more people are learning after what happened at the ball," she replied before sighing. "But most probably still don't know."

He nodded. "Exactly. To the people who put tonight together, I'm just another husband trying to give his wife a wonderful Valentine's Day."

She leaned closer to him, smiling. "You're not just another husband. You're my husband and I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her nose before pulling back. "Come on. Our reservations are waiting for us."

They entered the conservatory and checked their coats. A hostess in a black dress then greeted them. "Name?" she asked.

"Locksley," Robin replied.

She checked her list and smiled, nodding. "Okay. Follow me. We have everything ready for you."

Robin placed his hand on Regina's back, encouraging her to walk in front of him as the hostess led them through the main room. She recognized it as the one where Mother had them set up the tables for dinner during the ball. It was filled with people, many whom she recognized but quite a few she didn't. She wondered if couples from nearby towns had come to Storybrooke for the special event.

The hostess left the room and Regina's heart sped up as they entered a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave beautiful views of the snow-covered trees that surrounded the conservatory. While several tables were set up, no one else was in the room. They were led to the table farthest from the door, which had a vase full of purple roses on it.

"Here you go," the hostess said with a smile. "We have a fixed menu for you to choose from. Your waiter will be by shortly."

They thanked her and Robin pulled out a chair for Regina. "After you, milady," he said.

She sat down, tucking her skirt underneath her, and let him push her chair in. As he went to take his seat, Regina reached out and gently ran his finger over one of the rose petals. "Until a couple weeks ago, I didn't know roses came in purple," she said, amazed.

"They are very rare," he told her. "Purple roses symbolize enchantment, love at first sight, and that the person they are meant for is irresistible. That the giver is drawn to them."

"They really mean all of that?" she asked, amazed that he had researched the symbolism of her favorite flower in her favorite color.

He nodded. "After I learned all of that, I knew I had to get them. Thankfully, I have a friend who is really great about getting exotic plants."

"Really? Who is this friend?" she asked, curious.

"His name is Seymour," Robin replied. "He lives and works in the next town over, running a flower shop with his wife, Audrey. Lovely woman, though a bit ditzy at times."

She smiled, once again touching the roses. "So these are for me to take home?"

He nodded. "Vase and all."

"And they just put your requested bouquet on our table?" she asked, still amazed by it.

"Yep," he replied, taking her hand. "Whoever is running this really went out of their way to make it perfect for each couple here tonight."

She nodded before picking up the menu resting on top of her plate. "Well, I can't wait to try the food."

"Me too," he replied, picking up his menu. "But don't forget to save room for dessert. I have something special planned for that."

Regina's stomach flipped with excitement and she smiled, trying to stay calm as she said: "I bet you do."

She bit her lip, forcing herself to look over her options and not to skip straight to dessert. Knowing Robin, it was going to be worth the wait.

* * *

Their waiter rolled up with the dessert cart, several slices of cake resting on it. In the middle was a covered dish and he took that one off, placing it in front of Regina. "For you, special request by your husband."

"Thank you," she said, staring at it intently. She waited until Robin had gotten his dessert—a slice of chocolate cake—and the waiter walked off before she looked up. "Well?"

He smiled, nodding. "Go ahead. Lift the lid."

She took a deep breath, butterflies floating around her stomach as she lifted the lid. A slice of red velvet cake sat on a plate, next to a black ring box. Regina's heart sped up as she picked it up, wondering what he had bought her. She had told him that she didn't need expensive jewelry or anything like that to celebrate important events. Had he ignored that and gotten her something anyway?

"Open it," he said.

"Robin," she replied, shaking her head. She held the box back out to him. "You know how I feel about jewelry."

He nodded, gently pushing it back toward her. "Please, just open it. For me?"

She sighed, humoring him. Opening the lid, she found a beautiful ring inside it. A diamond surrounded by two pearls were set on a gold band. She couldn't deny it was beautiful and told him that.

"I'm glad you like it," he told her. "I had it made especially for you."

"Robin, I told you…"

"That you like gifts that have special meaning," he interrupted, smiling. "That band? It's my mother's wedding ring and the diamond came from one of her earrings. And the pearls? Those came from a pair of my grandmother's earrings."

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt bad for doubting him, for believing he had ignored her wishes. She covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes, realizing he had crafted a ring for her made from mementos of two important women in his life.

Robin stood and took the box from her hands. He got down on one knee and she found it hard to breathe as tears fell freely down her cheeks, realizing what he was doing. It was sweet, romantic and so very, very him.

"Regina," he said, "I know you're probably not one for grand romantic gestures, but I could not think of a better place to do this than the spot where we exchanged vows for real."

She glanced around, realizing it was the very room where they spoke with Santa and promised to stay married with each other. It brought fresh tears to her eyes and she was really glad she had decided to wear waterproof mascara, even if it was just because she was worried about snow and not tears.

"Because of our boys' wish, we didn't really get a chance to date or for me to do this. So I hope you don't mind me doing this now, even if it's a bit cliché to propose on Valentine's Day," he continued, winking at her.

She chuckled through her tears, letting him take her hand as he continued. "Though this really isn't a proposal. We're married and I am so glad we are. However, I didn't give you this ring. Santa's magic did. So I wanted a ring to give you.

"Regina Locksley-Mills, will you accept this ring as a symbol of my love for you?" he asked, pulling the ring out and holding it up.

"I will," she said, holding out her left hand and spreading out her ring. She watched as he slid the ring onto her ring finger until it touched her gold wedding band.

He kissed her hand before standing, pulling her up with him. Robin rested his hands on her hips as she draped her arms over his shoulders, both smiling. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing the tip of his nose. "And I love the ring. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain it to me."

Robin rubbed her back. "That's okay. All's well that ends well."

She smiled coyly, leaning closer to him. "Is this the end for tonight?"

"Oh, trust me, this is just the beginning," he assured her with a wink. He pulled back and motioned to the table. "Why don't we finish up dessert and then we can move on to the _fun_."

The emphasis on that last word and the way he dropped his voice into a lower register made her tingle. Butterflies returned to her stomach and she grinned as she sat down, eager to finish her cake so she could see what was next on this grand Valentine's Day celebration.

* * *

Robin watched as the streetlamps illuminated Regina as they drove through the streets of Storybrooke. She held her vase of purple roses on her lap and played with her new engagement ring, moving it with her thumb. Her lips curled into a soft smile, making his heart skip a beat.

She was breathtaking.

"You're staring at me," she said without looking at him. "I can feel your eyes on me and not on the road."

"I can watch both," he assured her, turning onto a small road. The car rattled around as he drove down it.

She reached out to brace herself against the dashboard, frowning. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?"

"My old cottage," he told her, also concerned at how bumpy the drive was. "This is the right road."

"I don't remember it being so bumpy the last time we came here. I would've woken up if that was the case."

He frowned, knowing she was right. Glancing over his steering wheel, he got a good look at the road. "There are a lot of potholes on this road."

"I'll see if I can mention it to the mayor next time I see him," she replied, her voice shaking as he did his best to avoid the potholes.

Relief filled him as they approached his cottage. He gripped the steering wheel tighter. "We're almost there, sweetheart."

"Good. I don't know how much longer I can keep the water in the vase from splashing on my dress," she said.

He pulled into his old driveway and turned off the car. Opening his door, he frowned when he saw all the ice on the ground. "Wait for me. It's pretty icy. We should walk in together," he told her.

She nodded, waiting for him as he walked around the car. He gently took her arm as she got out, closing the door behind her. Regina frowned as she looked around. "I thought John was taking care of the property?"

"Me too," he replied, holding onto her to keep her from falling as they shuffled like penguins to the front door. He made a note to talk to John the next day.

Once they were inside the house, he went to turn on the heat. He glanced over at Regina, who stood in the foyer with her roses. "Why don't you head upstairs? I'll meet you there."

She nodded, kissing his check as she handed him the vase. "Put these somewhere safe but where we won't forget them."

"I will," he promised her. "Go get comfortable. There's just one thing I want to check."

Robin entered the kitchen, setting the vase down on his table. He opened the refrigerator, praying John had at least gotten him what he had asked. Relief spread through him when he saw the can of whipped cream sitting on the top shelf. He grabbed it before turning to join his wife in his old bedroom.

He found her sitting on his bed, her hands in her lap as she faced the door. Robin closed it behind him, confused. "You could've made yourself comfortable."

"I wanted to wait for you," she said before tilting her head. "Is that…whipped cream?"

"It is," he confirmed.

She frowned. "What are you going to do with that?"

He set the can down on the nightstand before loosening his tie with a grin. "Have some fun."

Regina's eyebrows went up and she glanced at the can uncertainty. "I've, uh, never done that before."

"Don't worry," he assured her, sitting on the bed next to her. He took her hand and kissed it. "You have the right to say no at any time, you know that, right?"

The last thing he ever wanted to make her was uncomfortable and he never wanted her to go along with something just because she thought he wanted to do it. He just wanted her to be happy.

She relaxed, smiling as she leaned toward him. "I know. And I do want to try it. I just…haven't done it before."

He brushed some of her hair back from her face. "It'll be fine. I promise."

"I know," she replied, resting her hand on his leg. "I trust you."

She kissed him and he cupped the back of her neck, rubbing it gently as they fell onto the bed together. Her fingers started to undo the buttons on his shirt while his fingers tugged on the zipper of her dress.

Once they were undressed, Robin reached for the can of whipped cream. He paused, looking her in the eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am," she said, running her hands up his arms. "Go ahead."

He grinned, biting his lip as he shook the can. "After I'm done with you, you can have some fun with me. Sound fair?"

"Very fair," she replied, smiling now.

"Good." Robin squirted some whipped cream on her breast, covering her nipple completely. It was time for them to have some sweet, sexy fun.

* * *

Though they had tried their best to clean up before leaving Robin's cottage, Regina still felt sticky all the way home. Relief filled her as Robin pulled into their driveway, knowing she would be in her shower in no time.

"Did you two have a good night out?" Tink asked, opening the door for them. She smiled as she took in the bouquet of purple roses in Regina's hands. "Ooh, you went all out for her, didn't you, Robin?"

"And then some. He gave me a proper engagement ring too," Regina said, showing off the ring that once again sat on her left ring finger, resting just above her wedding band.

Tink let out a squeal and grabbed Regina's hand to examine it closer. "It's beautiful, Robin. Where did you get it?"

"I had it made," he said, explaining again all the parts that made up the ring.

When he finished, Tink let out a low whistle. "Impressive," she said.

"Thank you," Robin replied, wrapping his arm around Regina after hanging up their coats. "And thank you for watching the boys. I trust they were on their best behavior?"

Regina was not surprised when Tink waved off his concerns. "They were fine. We had some dinner, played a couple games while we watched a movie and then they took their baths before I tucked them in. They were both out in seconds."

"Well, it sounds like you had a good night too," Robin said. He retrieved her coat. "I'll walk you to your car. It's still pretty icy out there."

Tink put on her coat, thanking him. She then hugged Regina. "Have a good night."

"Get home safely," Regina told her, watching as Robin escorted her out of their house. Once the door closed, she hurried up the stairs—her shower was calling.

First, though, she checked on her boys. Just as Tink said, they were sound asleep. Henry had cocooned himself but she was able to kiss his forehead. Roland laid sprawled out and had kicked off his blankets. She covered him again, kissing his forehead in the process.

After that, she made a beeline to her room and quickly shed her clothes. They went straight into her hamper before she entered the bathroom and started up her shower. She stepped into the cascade of warm water and let out a pleased sigh, feeling the stickiness wash off her.

She heard the bathroom door open and saw a dark figure against the fogged-up glass of her shower stall. Regina watched the door, smiling when it opened and Robin quickly hopped in before he let in too much cold air. He smiled as he closed the door behind her. "I hope you're in the mood for some company," he said.

"I'm always in the mood when you're the company," she told him, draping her arms over his shoulders as she grinned at him.

He gently gripped her hip. "Glad to hear it."

"I had a great Valentine's Day," she continued as he pulled her closer. She pressed her body against his, though she didn't expect them to do anything else that night but wash up and go to bed. The skin-to-skin contact just felt good.

Robin nuzzled her. "I'm glad. I figured it's been too long since your last one."

"Well, I've had a few good ones since Henry came along," she said, tilting her head so he had better access to her neck. She shivered as he placed light kisses along it. "But you're right that it's been a long time since I had a great _romantic_ one."

He hummed, lifting his head up to smile at her. "So noted. And I'm glad you had a good night."

"What about you?" she asked, concerned. "You focused so much on me and I feel bad I didn't focus on you."

"You know I'm happy when you're happy," he told her, reaching for her shampoo. "Now, why don't we get ourselves cleaned up and head to bed? I think we're both pretty tired after tonight."

She nodded, turning around so he could wash her hair. As his fingers massaged her scalp, she closed her eyes. Robin had done so much for her during their short marriage and she felt it was time to pay him back. His birthday was in about six weeks—she was going to make it one he never forgot.

As she started planning in her mind, he washed the suds from her hair and then grabbed her loofa. He squirted some body wash into it and scrubbed down her body, removing all traces of their activities that evening from her skin.

"There," he said. "All clean now."

She kissed his nose, focusing on him again. "Now it's your turn. Hand me your shampoo."

He did as she asked, bending down a bit so she could reach his hair. She lathered up the shampoo, massaging his scalp like he had done with hers. Regina washed the suds out of his hair before grabbing his body wash to scrub down his body, wanting to do it quickly before his knees started to hurt. It was a bit of a challenge as he kept trying to kiss every part of her that got close to his lips.

"Stop it," she said, gently pushing him away. "At this rate, we'll never get out of the shower and the water will turn cold."

"I can't help it. You're irresistible," he told her, grinning.

She rolled her eyes, turning off the water. "Come on. Let's get to bed."

Robin opened the door to the shower stall and grabbed a towel. He wrapped her in it, trying to keep her warm. As she towel-dried her hair, he wrapped a towel around himself as well. They hurried out into the bedroom and quickly changed into their pajamas.

After putting her wedding ring back on, Regina made sure her new engagement ring sat in its box on her nightstand. It made her heart skip a beat as she climbed under the covers, cuddling closer to her husband.

He wrapped his arm around her as he rested his cheek against her head. "Good night, sweetheart."

* * *

 **A/N** : Okay, so I totally missed Valentine's Day by…a lot. My bad. I'm hoping I can right the course somehow…but I'm already behind on the Easter/Robin's birthday fic, so probably not.

If you want to see the sweet, sexy fun Robin and Regina had with that whipped cream, you can find the full version of this chapter on AO3 or Wattpad.

I hope you all enjoyed this anyhow!

-Mac


	4. April Joys

**April Joys**

Regina entered Robin's store, the bell tingling as the door opened. She glanced around, hoping not to spot her husband's familiar form. A few customers milled around the store and John manned the cash register but there was no sign of Robin. Relief filled her and she approached John.

"Hello, Regina," he greeted her warmly. "Robin isn't here. He had a meeting with a supplier."

"Good. I want to talk to you about him. Specifically, his birthday," she said.

He tilted his head, checking the calendar pinned up behind him. "It's still a few weeks away, Regina. His birthday is…"

"April eighteenth," she finished. "I know that. And I know it's over a month away but we know how fast things can go. I want to throw a surprise party for him but Easter is going to get in the way."

John nodded. "We probably should have it before then. But are you sure you want to plan a surprise party on top of your wedding ceremony?"

Regina bit her lip, knowing he had a good point. She and Robin had decided to get married at the end of June, right after school ended for their boys and before the real heat of summer could kick in. Their plan was to then celebrate the 4th of July with their family and friends before sending Henry and Roland to a two-week sleepaway camp. During that time, she and Robin were going on a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean for their honeymoon. She knew it didn't leave much time for planning but she wasn't trying to throw a big wedding, just a small ceremony to give them what Santa had robbed from them—memories of actually getting married.

That didn't mean there still was a lot to plan for the wedding, though. But Regina was getting a lot of help from both Tink and Mary Margaret, so she felt confident she could pull off a surprise party for Robin as well.

"I'm not planning anything big," she told John. "Probably just a small gathering in the backyard. Tink's helping with the wedding, so I was hoping you could help with this."

John smiled, nodding. "I'd be happy to help. Just let me know what you need me to do."

Regina grinned, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it out to him. "Do you think you can take care of these?"

He took the paper and unfolded it, scanning the items she had written down. John nodded. "Looks easy enough."

"Good," she said, relieved. "This is a big help."

"Anything to make sure Robin has a great birthday. He deserves it," he replied, tucking the list into his pocket.

She nodded, leaning back. "Thanks. I'll be in touch when I can. I think we can pull this off."

"Me too," he agreed. "Can't wait to see the look on Robin's face."

Excited, Regina said goodbye to John and headed out of the store. This was going to be the best surprise party she had ever planned.

Robin deserved nothing less.

* * *

It had been a crazy morning. Robin had barely taken his first sip of coffee when Regina had shoved a list at him. Apparently she liked to create big baskets for Henry to open on Easter morning and this year was also making one for Roland. There were a lot of things she needed and she tasked him with picking all of it up without the boys while she went food shopping with them. Robin sighed but kissed her cheek, agreeing to do it. After all, how hard could it be to grab everything?

Very hard, apparently, as he had to run to three different stores to get everything on the list—especially as Regina had been very specific about each item's color, size and brand. He loved that she was a perfectionist but sometimes, it drove him crazy.

Almost three hours after he left, he finally returned home. Robin pulled into the driveway and killed his engine, just taking a moment to take a few deep breaths before carrying everything inside. He hoped all he had to do now was just relax with his wife and sons.

Robin opened his car door and quickly retrieved everything from the back of his truck. He did his best to only have to make one trip and his muscles strained as he carried the bags and baskets into the house. By the time he got to his bedroom, there was a definite burn. He dumped everything into the closet before rubbing his arms.

It was then he noticed how quiet the house was.

Too quiet.

His eyes narrowed and he stepped out of the house. Even with the boys in tow, she should've beaten him home. Unless there were a few more errands she had to run, he figured. He sighed and decided to enjoy the silence while he could.

Robin hit the last step and was about to head to the kitchen when Regina's voice stopped him. "Robin? Are you home?"

"Yes," he replied, turning around to find his wife coming from the backyard. He frowned. "I didn't think you were home."

She nodded. "I stopped by because I wanted to check our propane tank ahead of barbeque season. Can you come help me?"

"Sure," he said, heading toward the backdoor. "If you want, though, I can always get the tank during the week."

"Let's just check it out, okay?" She held open the door for him and he stepped out into the warm April sun.

 _ **"SURPRISE!"**_

Robin stood frozen to the spot just outside the backdoor as he slowly took in the backyard. His friends filled it, standing around folding tables covered with green tablecloths and white and green balloons as centerpieces. He slowly turned to face Regina, noticing the "Happy Birthday" banner hanging over the door. She beamed, clearly happy and proud of herself.

She had thrown him a surprise party.

"Happy birthday, darling," she said, going up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him, grinning. "You sly minx."

"Careful," she said, dropping her voice. She glanced over his shoulder. "We have company."

Robin chuckled, nodding. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he turned to face the family and friends standing in their backyard. Shrugging, he grinned as he announced: "You got me!"

"Papa!" Roland raced from the crowd and leapt into his arms. Henry was right behind him and Robin gathered him up too, holding his sons close.

Roland hugged him. "You were surprised?"

"I was," Robin assured him. He kissed his cheek before kissing Henry's cheek. "This is the best party ever."

Henry giggled. "It just started! How can you say that?"

"Well, are you here?" Robin asked. When Henry nodded, he continued. "And Roland? And your mum?"

"Yes," he replied. "And yes."

Robin nodded. "And all our friends, right?"

Henry looked around the yard before nodding. "Yep."

"That sounds like the best party ever to me then," he finished.

"I guess it is," Henry agreed. He beamed as he looked over at his mother. "We threw the best party ever, Mom!"

Regina laughed, rubbing his back as she pressed Roland to her side. "I'm glad to hear it. We all worked really hard on this for your father."

"Are we going to stand around all day or are we going to party?" John called out, a beer in his hand.

Chuckling, Robin put Henry down. "Well, if we're going to party, someone needs to get me a beer. Namely someone whose name rhymes with Con."

John let out a belly laugh before heading toward the cooler. "Fair enough, mate. Your usual?"

"Yep," Robin said. "And make it the coldest bottle in that cooler. It's pretty hot out here."

Regina wrapped her arm around him, resting her hand against his back. "We really lucked out with the weather. I was worrying about it all week."

Things clicked as he recalled her religiously watching the news every night, hushing him and pushing him away whenever the weather was on. She was cagey whenever he asked about it, muttering excuses about starting her garden or doing something with the boys, before changing the subject. Now it all made sense.

He kissed the side of her head. "I'm glad it all worked out."

"Regina worked really hard to plan this," John said, handing Robin his beer. "She wanted this to be a great day for you."

Robin glanced down at Regina, whose cheeks had turned pink as she stared at the lawn. It made his heart skip a beat and he smiled softly. "She makes every day a great day for me."

"Ugh." John wrinkled his nose. "I'm going to walk away before I'm sick."

He walked away as Robin took a sip of his beer, hiding his smile. Regina looked up, gently poking him in the side. "We should join our other guests. After all, they are here for _you_."

"Good point," he said, moving toward the rest of the crowd. As he took another sip of his beer, he felt himself relax and knew this was going to be a fun party.

* * *

"Here you go, sweetheart," Regina said, handing Roland a plate filled with chicken nuggets, French fries and salad.

He crinkled his nose. "I didn't ask for salad."

"I know but you need something healthy to eat as well," she told him. "Henry and I are going to have salads too."

"As am I," Robin added, placing his hand on his son's back. He crouched down, saying: "You know your mother knows best, right?"

Roland nodded. He then looked up at Regina. "Thank you for the salad, Mom."

"You're welcome," she said. "And if you eat it all, then you can have a big piece of cake later."

He gasped and smiled, giving her a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Mom!"

She watched as he skipped toward the table Henry and the other children sat at, eating their meals. Beside her, Robin nudged her. "You're spoiling him."

"Him and Henry," she said. "Besides, it's your birthday party. Seems like a good reason to spoil them."

He chuckled, hugging her close to him. "It is a good reason. And I'm sure you're also hoping they run off the sugar high before the party ends."

She laughed, loving how well he knew her. "Guilty as charged. But I think it's a good plan."

"Oh, I agree," he said, heading over to load his plate up with some food. "By the way, who did the cooking?"

"It's mostly Granny. Mary Margaret and Tink helped too," she said. "And I made the cake."

He placed some pasta on his plate and paused, his eyes lighting up. "You made the cake? Then I should definitely save room. I'm going to want a big piece myself."

She laughed as she loaded her plate with some salad and placed strips of grilled chicken on top of that. Leaning closer to him, she whispered: "Me too."

They carried their plates over to the closest table, sitting down on one side by Tink and Little John. Mary Margaret, David, Ruby and Archie sat on the other side of them. "This is a great party, Regina," Mary Margaret said.

David nodded. "I'm glad we have an excuse to celebrate such beautiful weather. Thanks for being an April baby, Robin."

"You're welcome?" he asked, sounding confused.

Regina chuckled. "This is to celebrate him, not the change in weather."

"I know," David protested as Mary Margaret just shook her head. He sighed. "I'll just stop talking now."

His wife patted his hand. "That's probably a good idea."

"We could talk about the wedding ceremony instead," Tink said. She looked over at Regina with bright eyes. "I'm going to need you to stop by soon for another fitting."

"Make sure to see me before you leave. We'll find something that works," Regina replied, trying to figure out when she had room in her schedule soon.

Mary Margaret smiled, pushing some of her potato salad around on her plate. "I can't wait to see the dress. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful."

"How go the other plans?" David asked, stealing a fry off his wife's plate as she tried to bat his hand away from her food.

"We're going to choose the flowers next weekend," Regina said. "Robin has some friends and they sent us some examples. They do some beautiful work."

"My favorite task was the cake tasting," David replied with a grin while Mary Margaret rolled her eyes.

Robin chuckled. "I'm looking forward to that. And picking out the menu for the reception."

"Food is very important," Regina added, taking a bite of her salad.

"And the music?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Something tells me that's not as important as the food," Robin replied, drawing laughter from everyone at the table.

She scowled at him before softening into a grin. "Okay, I may have walked into that one. I just wanted to know if you two had decided what you were doing for music. Band? DJ? String quartet?"

Regina scrunched up her nose. A string quartet sounded like something her mother would insist on for the wedding and so she didn't want it at all. "Not that last one. I guess it would be between a band and a DJ."

"I think I would prefer a band over a DJ," Robin said. "But it would be up to the budget and who we can find."

David raised an eyebrow. "You two have a budget? Really? Aren't you both richer than the queen now?"

"I wouldn't say the queen," Robin replied, shifting on the bench. Regina took his hand, knowing he was still uncomfortable with their friends knowing exactly how rich he was. He didn't like to consider himself as a billionaire and preferred that everyone still saw him as the humble store owner he was.

Tink chimed in. "Just because they're both rich doesn't mean they have to spend a lot of money on their wedding."

"Thank you, Tink," Regina said, grateful for her interjection. "At least somebody gets it."

"Yeah, big splashy weddings don't seem to be Robin's deal anyway," John said, clapping his friend on the back. "He and Marian had a beautiful, small and intimate one."

Mary Margaret glanced over at Regina, sadness in her eyes. Regina knew what her stepsister wanted to say but held back because of the memories it brought back up. Memories that didn't hurt as much anymore, so she said: "Daniel and I were planning a rather small wedding. It drove my mother nuts as she wanted to invite everyone in the county."

Robin chuckled, sipping his beer. "Yeah, I can see that. Didn't she tell you she had a list of people we absolutely had to invite only a few days after Christmas?"

"She did," Regina replied, "and she was horrified that I didn't have a guest list prepared despite how quickly everything had happened."

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "Sounds like Cora. She almost took over our wedding until Daddy put his foot down, giving David and me more control."

"We still ended up inviting about a hundred more people than we had intended," David said, scowling at his plate since Cora wasn't there.

"And Mother still complained about your wedding being too small for the social event of the year," Regina recalled, shaking her head.

John's eyes widened. "I feel like I missed a real spectacle."

"You did," she replied. She paused before adding: "Zelena's wedding."

Mary Margaret and David groaned in unison. "I had forgotten about that whole lavish affair," he said.

"I remember you asking if I wanted to elope after that," his wife said, shuddering. "I almost said yes."

Robin frowned. "What exactly happened at Zelena's wedding?"

"What _didn't_ happen at Zelena's wedding," David countered, shaking his head.

"I'm starting to already hope there are plenty of pictures of this," John said, looking excited. "It sounds _good_."

Tink chuckled. "There are tons of pictures and videos. Zelena and Hades have a whole website dedicated to their wedding that is still active. I like to check from time to time. You know, for shits and giggles."

"Can you send it to me?" John asked. She nodded, picking up her phone and typing something.

Robin wrapped his arm around Regina, pulling her close as he said: "I still want to hear about this spectacle."

"Well, you can hear it from the maid of honor herself," David replied, motioning to Regina. He then motioned to his wife. "And a bridesmaid. Just one of many. I didn't know Zelena had so many friends."

"She doesn't. Glinda was her college roommate and I know they are still in touch. But the rest were just daughters of Mother's socialite friends," Regina replied, thinking of the women she had spent so many hours of wedding preparation with and then had never seen again.

Mary Margaret nodded. "I still see them from time to time but I don't think any of them really keep in touch with Zelena except for the usual pleasantries at functions. Honestly, I feel bad for Zelena. I don't think she really has any friends."

"Who would want to be her friend?" John countered, frowning a bit.

Despite her strained relationship with her sister, Regina still felt the need to defend her. "I think she would find friends if she were to be herself. Unfortunately, I think she's been so focused on pleasing Mother, she doesn't know who she is."

"You almost sound like me," Archie teased her, looking amused at the other end of the table.

She grinned at him. "You were bound to rub off on me sooner or later."

"But has Regina rubbed off on him?" David asked, raising an eyebrow. "I guess that remains to be seen."

Robin shook his head. "I hate to break this up, but I'm still eager to hear about Zelena's wedding."

"Well, Mother decided that none of the churches in Storybrooke were big or grand enough for such a wedding," Regina said. "So the wedding ended up being in a cathedral a couple towns over, even though Hades wanted to marry in his own church."

"I thought you weren't religious," he said.

She shrugged. "We're not. But I guess her society friends made a big deal about their daughters being married in churches, so she figured she had to about Zelena's wedding. And it had to be the best."

"Naturally," he replied. "I take it that's why she had so many bridesmaids too?"

"Probably," Regina said. "I don't really want to consider what Mother's motives were for that, honestly."

"Cora Mills-Blanchard's mind is a dangerous place," Tink declared, making everyone chuckle.

"What color did she make you all wear again?" David asked. "Was it rose gold?"

Regina shook her head. "It was champagne. Mother's choice. Zelena wanted us to wear emerald and honestly, I think it would've flattered most of us and photographed well. Mother dismissed it and insisted champagne was classier."

"Yeah, that sounds like Cora," Robin replied dryly. "Isn't champagne just a fancy way of saying gold?"

The women looked at each other and shrugged. "It's a bit more muted than gold, but yeah, I guess so," Tink finally said.

"I'm sticking with a nice shade of blue for ours," Regina assured Robin, patting his hand. "Don't worry."

He nodded. "So I know what color the dresses were. What did they look like?"

Mary Margaret and Regina groaned again. "Like an overstuffed pastry," Regina replied. "The skirt was so voluminous, I was afraid it was going to swallow me up."

"I was afraid of tripping," Mary Margaret said. "I thought if I did, Cora would literally kill me."

"Mother would've killed anyone who made the wedding less than the perfect affair—bride and groom included," Regina agreed.

David nodded. "Even the groomsmen got a lecture from her about our tuxedos. She even sent out guidelines for our haircuts!"

"That's intense," Robin replied, looking a bit afraid now.

"I think that's a good way to describe that whole wedding," David said. "Intense."

Tink leaned forward. "Didn't you all have to take ballroom dancing classes for the reception?"

"Yes. There was an elaborately choreographed routine for Zelena and Hades' introduction. It was like something out of a movie," Regina replied. She then glanced at Robin and added: "Yes, there is a video."

He grinned. "Can I see it?"

"Yes," she said. "Late at night, when the boys are asleep and there is plenty of wine around. I am not reliving that sober."

"Fair enough," he replied, chuckling. "I probably don't want to experience that for the first time sober either."

"Good call," David replied, sipping his own beer.

John shook his head. "I don't think I want to talk about this wedding anymore."

"How about we table all wedding talk?" Robin suggested. "It's my birthday and I'm placing a moratorium on the topic."

Everyone nodded and Tink changed the subject for them. "So, who is excited that winter is finally over?"

As the others agreed that they were glad the cold and snow was behind them, Regina leaned closer to Robin. She kissed his cheek. "I know our wedding ceremony is going to be beautiful and perfect for us," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. He then smirked. "Especially because your mother is not allowed anywhere near it."

She chuckled, nodding. "Agreed."

As he wrapped his arms around her, she sighed happily. This was a perfect day all around and she knew it was going to be just one of many she would experience with Robin.

* * *

By the time night fell, the air had turned cold again. Regina bundled up in her coat and gloves as she finished cleaning up from the party. It wasn't too much as many of the guests had helped to clean before they left but there were still a few things she didn't want to leave out overnight.

"The boys are in bed," Robin said, coming out the backdoor. He picked up a trash bag. "What else has to go?"

She pointed to a few empty beer cans. "Can you toss those in the recycling bin, please? I think that will be it then."

He nodded, kissing her cheek. "I'll be right back. And then I'm taking you to bed to really thank you for my party."

"Looks like I'm getting a present too," she flirted, leaning closer to him. She kissed his jaw. "You better hurry up then."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her before heading over to gather up the beer cans.

Regina tied up the bag she had been filling and carried it toward the bins along the side of her house. She tossed it into one as Robin dropped the beer cans into the blue bin marked for recyclables. He took her hand, pulling her close. "Time for bed."

"I agree," she replied, kissing him. "Do you want to lead the way?"

"Gladly." He pulled away as he took her hand. They walked into the house and took off their coats, hanging them up.

Robin scooped her into his arms, causing her to let out a little squeak. "Don't worry. I got you," he assured her.

"I believe that," she said, settling into his arms as he headed upstairs. "Just a bit of a surprise, that's all."

He hummed, kissing the side of her head. "I know you're not a fan of the spontaneous…"

"This is fine," she replied. "I would think anyone would make a noise of surprise if they were just suddenly scooped up off the ground. Don't you think so?"

"I guess," he replied, laying her on the bed. He held up a finger before rushing back to the door, closing and locking it.

Robin turned from the door, grinning at her. "There. We'll only be interrupted by knocking if the boys need us. Which hopefully they won't as I want you to myself all night long."

"Who am I to deny the birthday boy?" She chuckled, motioning for him to come to bed.

He climbed onto the bed, grinning. "You know what I want to do first?"

"I think I have a good idea," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hovered over her. "But it's your birthday, so you should be pleasured."

"And what makes you think I don't get any pleasure out of giving you pleasure?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm always sure about eating you out," he told her, grinning. "But first, I think we're both overdressed for this."

"I agree," she replied, turning around so he could reach the zipper on her dress. She heard him unzip it before the dress slid off her shoulders and he pressed kisses to her skin there.

He then kissed her neck. "You're absolutely stunning."

"Just because my shoulders are bared?" she teased him, trying to look back at him.

"Oh, yes," he replied in a teasing tone. "You know how just the hint of bare skin will drive a red-blooded man like me wild. No impulse control and all that."

She laughed. "Is that so?"

He hummed, pulling her dress off her and discarding it. Robin gently rolled her onto her back, helping her lay down as he straddled her. "Beautiful."

"Why thank you," she replied, though she felt herself flush. She still was getting used to how easily Robin complimented and praised her. It was a change after years of her mother's and sister's criticisms.

She pushed thoughts of them aside as she tugged on his shirt. "But you're still overdressed for this part of the celebrations. Let me fix that."

Regina sat up, tugging his green sweater over his head. He raised his arms to help her and she tossed it aside before working on the buttons of his shirt. As she slowly popped them over, he peppered the side of her head with kisses and ran his hands over her bare skin.

His hands reached her ass, giving the cheeks a squeeze as she slid his shirt off him. She ran her fingers down his chest, toying with some of the blond hairs there before pressing a kiss over where his heart was. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied, nuzzling her as she unzipped his pants. "You're still the best present I've ever gotten."

She helped him out of his pants as he continued to kiss every part of her he could reach, including a few ticklish places. Regina wiggled a bit as she giggled. "Stop—not there!"

Robin paused, smirking. "Are you…Are you ticklish? How am I just discovering this?"

"It hasn't been this bad before," she replied, feeling somewhat defensive. "I'm usually not this sensitive."

"That's intriguing," he said, smirking at her. "Where else are you ticklish, I wonder?"

She pushed his hands away. "If you want sex tonight, you won't dare to find out—birthday or not."

He paused before nodding. "Fair enough. I don't want to get exiled to the couch. Santa's magic won't return me to your side this time."

"No, it won't," she replied, smiling softly at him. "But I'm not trying to kick you out of bed. I like sleeping next to you."

"Good," he said, nuzzling her again. "I like sleeping next to you too. Thought right now, I'm focused on doing other things with you."

She gasped as he went lower, her fingers grabbing at his hair as she knew it was going to be long time before they slept that night.

Regina sank into the mattress, her limbs like jelly, as Robin rolled off her. He landed with a small bounce on the mattress, panting still. "Well, that was certainly one way to celebrate my birthday, even if it's a few days earlier," he said.

"And it can be how we celebrate your birthday every year," she told him, rolling over to cuddle against him. She pressed a kiss to his chest. "If you want, that is. "

He kissed her head. "And if you want. I don't want you to feel obligated to have sex with me just because it's my birthday."

She nodded. "I know. And I would think by now that if I don't want to do something, I won't."

"True. You are very stubborn," he agreed. He then gave her a little squeeze. "We're well-matched in that regard."

"We are," she agreed, her eyes starting to close. "I think it's time to sleep now, though. Good night, Robin."

He kissed her head again. "Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams."

Robin wrapped them in their blankets as he continued to hold her close. The heat radiating off them warmed her body and just fell into a deep sleep feeling warm and content.

* * *

Robin's phone alarm went off and Regina groaned, rubbing her eyes. She opened them, watching as her husband slipped out of bed. "What time is it? And where are you going?"

"Early," he told her, leaning against their headboard. "But I need to hide the eggs before the boys wake up. You go back to bed. This won't take too long."

She nodded, laying her head back down on her pillow. "Just make sure you remember where you put all the eggs. I don't want us discovering one six months from now due to the smell."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I will make a note on my phone after hiding them so we can retrieve any that don't get found. And I'm going to put out the baskets too. Is there a place you usually put it?"

"The coffee table in the living room," she replied, "but if you think the baskets should go someplace else, I'll trust your judgment."

"Coffee table sounds good," he said, kissing her head as she started to drift off to sleep again. "Sweet dreams, my love."

It seemed like only minutes later when Regina awoke to two excited boys yelling from downstairs. She sat up, noticing that Robin was back in bed with her. As he stretched out, waking up again, she checked the time.

Nine AM.

Well, it was better than 7 AM.

She sat up just as the door opened. Roland and Henry climbed onto the bed, both smiling at her and Robin. "Happy Easter, Mom and Dad!" Henry declared.

"Happy Easter, boys," she replied, opening her arms to them. Both threw themselves at her and she hugged them tightly to her, kissing their heads.

Robin scooted closer to them, wrapping his arm around her. He winked at her. "So, do you boys think the Easter Bunny came?"

The boys gasped as they looked at each other. Roland started to crawl toward the edge of the bed. "Come on, Henry! We have to find the eggs so we can find our baskets!"

"I bet I'll find more eggs than you!" Henry said, following his brother off the bed.

"Nah uh," Roland replied, shaking his head. "I'm the best at finding eggs. I found all of them last year. Right, Papa?"

Robin chuckled. "You did. But I'm sure Henry did the same."

"He did," Regina confirmed, proud of her son. "So you two together should find the eggs in no time!"

Henry and Roland studied each other before Roland held out his hand. "Partners?"

"Partners," Roland agreed, shaking his brother's hand. He then pulled on it and headed for the door. "Come on!"

They raced out of the room and Regina pushed the blankets back, climbing out of bed. "We should follow them," she said.

"Yeah," Robin replied, getting out of bed too. "Roland can get a little too excited when searching for eggs."

"Henry too," she said. "They are quite the pair."

He chuckled. "They really are brothers."

"Santa certainly knew what he was doing when he made us a family," she agreed, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. She then grabbed her bathrobe and slid it on. "Come on, let's go."

They headed downstairs, finding the boys already at work finding eggs in the kitchen. Henry checked some of the cabinets while Roland checked the drawers. Robin wrapped his arm around Regina's waist, the two watching them from the doorway.

"Are they close?" she asked him in a whisper.

He nodded. "There are a couple very close to where they are looking. They'll probably find them any minute now."

"Good," she said, leaning against him again as she resumed watching the boys continue their quest.

Henry opened the microwave and gasped, pulling out a blue egg and holding it up triumphantly. "I found one!"

"Way to go!" Robin praised him. "Looks like the Easter bunny left a bowl on the table for you to put the eggs in. Why don't you put that one in there?"

"Okay, Dad." Henry bounded over to the table and carefully put the egg in the bowl.

Not wanting to fall behind, Roland had continued to search the kitchen for more eggs. He reached into Robin's favorite mug and his face lit up as he pulled a yellow egg from it. "I found one too!"

"Way to go!" Regina praised, taking the egg from him so she could put it in the bowl. "You two are doing a great job!"

"I think the Easter bunny may have hidden one more egg in here," Robin suggested. "And then you should probably check the rest of this floor."

Roland and Henry scrambled to check some of the other places in the kitchen. Henry found the third egg in the refrigerator, a green one sitting next to the lettuce in the crisper. "He tried to trick us!" he declared, holding it up.

"Well, we're smarter than that!" Roland said, nodding proudly. "Let's see what other tricks that bunny tried!"

They hurried from the kitchen after Henry placed the egg in Regina's hand. She held it as she gently pushed Robin after them. "The Easter Bunny told you where the eggs are, so go keep an eye on them. I'm going to make us some coffee."

"Thank you," he said, kissing her cheek before picking up the bowl to take with him. He then hurried to follow the boys, who were now scouring the foyer for eggs.

It took a few minutes but Regina soon joined the rest of her family, carrying two mugs of coffee. Roland and Henry had moved into the living room with Robin watching them from the doorway. The bowl in his hands held a few more eggs. She handed him his mug as she asked: "How many more do they need to find?"

"Four. They found two in the downstairs bathroom and two in the foyer," he replied, sipping his coffee. "They should find them easily enough."

She nodded, taking a sip of her own coffee. Henry found an egg between the couch cushions just as Roland found one next to their DVD player. They both hurried over to drop the eggs in the bowl before continuing their hunt for the remaining eggs.

"Okay, there are two more eggs remaining," Robin told them. "Let's find them and I think you'll find some nice surprises with them."

Both boys' eyes lit up and they raced toward the other end of the room. Regina moved closer to him, whispering: "Are they with the baskets?"

"Yep," he replied. "It's always tradition in our house. I hope you don't mind that I brought it with us."

She shook her head. "I like it. It's a clever idea."

Two identical squeals drew their attention to behind the couch. He grinned. "I think they found them."

"Why don't we go check?" she suggested, setting down her mug and taking his hand. He placed his mug next to hers as they headed around the couch.

Roland and Henry sat on the floor, each holding a basket on their laps. Two eggs sat abandoned by them and Regina retrieved them as she watched the boys examine their goodies. "Wow. Looks like the Easter bunny thought you two were really good this year."

"Yeah," Henry agreed before gasping. "Is that Spider-Man? That's so cool!"

"I got Iron Man!" Roland said, just as excited. "The Easter Bunny is the best."

Regina frowned, not remembering those going in the basket the night before. She looked up at Robin, who was also frowning. They shared a look and she realized that if Santa was real, then the Easter Bunny certainly was as well. He must've brought those presents for their boys.

And he didn't even hide the eggs for them.

Then again, she was probably grateful for that as they would've been in trouble had the boys been unable to find all the eggs.

"Can we have some of the chocolate, Mom? Please?" Roland asked, looking up at her with doe eyes.

Putting aside thoughts of an actual bunny having been in her house, Regina shook her head. "Breakfast first, chocolate later. How about I make us some pancakes?"

They both cheered, setting aside their baskets and jumping up. Robin chuckled, motioning for them to come with him. "Let's go wash our hands while Mom gets everything started, okay?"

"Okay," the chorused, taking his hands and letting him lead them from the room. Regina picked up the bowl of eggs and carried them into the kitchen, placing them in the refrigerator before retrieving the ingredients for pancakes.

Robin returned with the boys, telling them to take their seats at the table. He approached her at the counter. "Do you need any help?"

"I think I'm fine here," she told him, kissing his cheek. "Why don't you and the boys set the table for me, please?"

He nodded, reaching up into the cabinet to get the plates. "You know, the Easter Bunny probably owes us just as much as Santa," he whispered to her.

She glanced back at the boys, who were lost in their own conversation. Looking back at Robin, she said: "We'll discuss that later."

"Okay," he replied, carrying the plates to the table. She focused on the stove, preparing breakfast as she contemplated how Santa and the Easter Bunny were indeed real. The Tooth Fairy probably was as well.

How strange her life had become!

* * *

"And they are down for the count," Robin said, entering the living room. He joined Regina on the couch, slipping under the blanket she had wrapped around her legs.

She hummed, curling against him. "I'm surprised after all the chocolate they consumed. I thought they would be up all night long."

He chuckled, cuddling with her. "They eventually had to crash. And they crashed hard. Pretty sure both nearly fell asleep brushing their teeth."

"Well, we all had a wonderful Easter," she said, patting his leg. "Thank you for a great day."

"I think all the credit goes to you," he replied. "You made a great dinner and were a wonderful hostess to Mary Margaret, David and Baby Neal."

She hummed, cuddling closer to him as she closed her eyes. "I love when they bring him over. Though he's getting so big. He's almost out of that cuddly phase."

Robin kissed her head, a question popping into his head. Or more like an idea, an image of her rocking a baby. "Do you want more children?"

She opened her eyes again, pulling back to look up at him. "What?"

"We skipped a lot of discussions we probably would've had before getting married," he explained, hoping he hadn't ruined the mood. "And one would've been about children. Namely, do we want more?"

"We have Henry and Roland," she pointed out, her eyes still wide.

He nodded. "And they are more than enough for me, if that's what we decide."

"You would like more," she said, not posing it as a question.

"I would," he replied. "I was an only child and always wanted a big family of my own."

She drew up her knees and hugged them to her chest. "I understand that. But I had more of a relationship with my stepsister than my real sister."

"Well, I think that's more because your mother pitted you against each other," he pointed out. "And while I think Roland and Henry will always have a special bond, it doesn't mean they are going to alienate any other siblings they may have."

"But what if I become like my mother?" she asked softly, fear in her voice and eyes.

Cursing Cora Mills-Blanchard, he moved closer to his wife and pulled her into his arms. "You won't."

She rested her head on his shoulder, sniffling. "How do you know? How do you know that I won't create some competition between my children?"

"Because you don't now," he told her. "Roland is as much yours as Henry is and you show no preferential treatment between them. And I have no doubt that you would do the same if we have another child."

"You think so?" she asked, sounding almost like a little girl.

He kissed the top of her head. "I know so."

She breathed out. "I wish I saw me as you see me."

"Me too," he replied, rubbing her arm. "But we're all working on it, right?"

"Right," she agreed, giving him the ghost of a smile. "Thank you."

They sat there and he continued to hold her, doing his best to offer her comfort since he couldn't go back in time to save her from Cora Mills-Blanchard. All Robin could do was give her a happier family than the one she had been raised in and just keep loving her with his entire heart and soul.

"I do," she whispered, breaking the silence that blanketed them.

He pulled back a bit, confused. "What?"

"I want more children," she clarified, looking him in the eyes. "I don't care how—if I get pregnant, if we adopt. I just want at least one more."

"Okay," he said, gently cupping her face. "Do you want to start trying or wait a bit longer?"

She bit her lip. "Part of me wants to say we should wait until after Christmas, to get through our first year together."

"That does make sense," he agreed. "However, I'm sensing a but in there."

"We've never used protection," she pointed out. "I'm not on birth control and you've never used a condom."

He frowned, realizing she was current. It had been years since he had needed to use them and when they had unexpectedly ended up married, condoms hadn't even crossed his mind. Nor had he ever thought to ask if she was on birth control. With everything else that came with their magical marriage, family planning just never came to his mind.

Robin's mind came up with one possibility and his eyes widened. "Do…Do you think you're already pregnant?"

"No," she told him. "I got my period a couple weeks ago and I haven't been showing any symptoms."

"Okay," he replied, somewhat relieved.

She moved closer to him. "I just meant I don't know if I want to start using any protection. It wouldn't make much sense to go on birth control just to come off it in a few months. And I really don't want you to start wearing condoms."

His mind processed her words as she played with his hair, twirling some of it around her finger as best she could. Robin leaned closer her. "Are you saying that you just want to let nature take its course?"

"I guess I am," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "If you're okay with that as well."

"I am," he assured her. "Thought I'm surprised you're advocating not planning this and being spontaneous."

She chuckled. "Maybe you've just rubbed off on me."

"Maybe," he said, chuckling as well. He eased them down until they were lying together—his back pressed against the couch while he held her against him. "Now, what do you say we enjoy this time to ourselves?"

"I say that's a very good idea," she replied, sliding her hand up his shirt and stroking his chest. He kissed her in response, glad the boys were in bed so they could just make out like teenagers on the couch in peace.

Later that night, when they had long moved to their bed, Robin held her as she slept. His mind filled with images of her pregnant with his child, glowing and happy, and he pressed his hand to her flat stomach. Though he would love to have those dreams come true sooner than later, he knew he just had to be patient.

Everything would happen in its own time.

* * *

The smell of coffee woke Robin a couple days after Easter. He opened his eyes, finding Regina's spot in bed empty. Sitting up, he guessed she was making him breakfast like he had for her birthday. It made him smile and he pushed back his blankets, eager to get ready and join his family.

Just as his feet hit the floor, the door opened. He glanced over, smiling as Regina entered with a tray. "Breakfast in bed?"

"Yes," she replied, approaching the bed as the boys followed her. "So get back under the covers, please."

Robin did as she asked as Henry and Roland climbed onto the bed. They knelt next to him as she laid the tray over his legs. "We made your favorites," Roland explained.

"Mom's French toast, bacon and coffee," Henry said, pointing out each food item on the tray. Each one made Robin's stomach growl.

"And don't worry, I put an ungodly amount of sugar into your coffee for you," Regina added, giving him a bright smile.

He chuckled but took a sip, the coffee tasting just how he liked. She certainly knew how to prepare his coffee, just as he hoped he prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. "Thank you," he said.

"Happy birthday, love," she said, kissing him.

"Yeah, happy birthday, Papa," Roland agreed, hugging him as Regina reached out to hold the tray steady.

Henry hugged him more carefully. "We love you, Dad."

"I love you all too," Robin replied, kissing the top of their heads. "This family is the best present I could ever get."

"But that was for Christmas. This is your birthday," Roland pointed out.

He laughed, hugging his son closer. "You, Henry and Mom are the gifts that keeps giving all year round."

"That was cheesy, Papa," Roland told him as Henry nodded in agreement.

Regina crinkled her nose. "I have to agree too."

"Oi! It's my birthday. I'm pretty sure you have to be nice to the birthday boy," he reminded them, though his attempt at indignation failed as he couldn't stop smiling at his family. He reached up and urged Regina to sit next to him.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You should probably eat and drink that before it gets cold."

He chuckled, cutting into his French toast. As he enjoyed his breakfast with his family around him, he already knew this was going to be the best birthday he had in a long time no matter what they did. Just as long as he was with them, he'd be happy for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **A/N** : Okay, this one took longer than I wanted to get out. But here it is! And I'm not going to wait until April to post it. I hope you all don't mind.

In the next chapter, our favorite family celebrates Mother's Day. And hopefully it won't take me months to write that one!

If you want to read the birthday smut, you need to head over to AO3 or Wattpad.

-Mac


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